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IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


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CL^Z 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA: 


OR, 


>  1   .  1  > 


SIX    YEARS'..,;';.:.:,,..;:;: 


OF 


ADVENTURE  IN  CONGO-LAND, 


BY 


E.   J.   GLAVE. 


1-' 


ONE   OF    STANLEY'S    PIONEER   OFFICERS, 


With  an  Introduction  by  H.  M,  Stanley. 

Illustrated  by 

The  Author,  Bacher,  Bridgman,  Gribayedoff, 
Kemble,  and  Taber. 


NEW  YORK: 

R.  H.  RUSSELL  &  SON. 


!^ 


^J 


Copyright   1892, 
By  R.  H.  Russell  &  Son. 


A' 


TO  MY  MOTHER. 


Thanks  are  due  to  Messrs.  Harper  &  Bros,  and  The 
Century  Company  for  the  privilege  of  reprinting 
portions  of  this  book  which  have  appeared  from 
time  to  time  in  The  Century  Magazine,  Harper's 
Young  People  and  St.  Nicholas. 


CONTENTS. 


-y/.- 


CHAPTER  I. 

Longing  for  fokkign  tuavkl-African  Exploration-Rkceive  orders  to  join- 
Stanley— Good  bve  TO  OLD  ENGLAND— The  Kkoo-boys-The  African  coast- 
Arrival  AT  THK   Congo   River- The   overland   march— All  stricic   down   in 

yiiVER-DEATH     OF     A     COMPANION-TlIE     SNUFF    TAKING    BA-KONGO-M  EETING    WITH 

Stanley  on  the  upper  Congo.  pagi-.s  1-5-36 

CHAPTER  II. 

With  Stanley  on  the  "En  Avant"— Steaming  up  River— Stories  around  the  Camp 
FIRE— The  FIGHT  AT  Bolobo-Declaration  ok  peace— Akrival  at  Lukolela— 
Curious  superstitions— Blooi>  buothekiiood— Alone  at  Lukolela— ]-eap.ning 
the  native  tongue-Ghastly  signs  at  Mbunga-Hippopotamus  hunt.  pages  37-57 


CHAPTER  III. 

Daiiy  Life  in  the  African  Village-Strange  observances-!  am  advised  to  ex- 
THACT  MY  evelashes-Bongo  Nsanda-Biiffalo  iiunting-The  Congo  Fowl- 
MY  Black  hunter  in  peril-Stanley's  Return  from  the  Falls-Mpukk  desires 

...    „  PAGES  68-76 

MY  SKULL— W  AR. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

superstitious  beliefs-The  '-Nganga's  POWER-THE  <.ui.ek  of  KKIMHA-THE  CONDUCr 
of  the  Medicine  Man-Cukious  devotions-Ciiarms-Tuiai.  hv  ,.,,is..n-M^^ti. 
animals-Transmigration  of  spirits-Mpuke's  friend,  the  hippo-Barimu. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

AFRICAN    JUNGLES-TRAPS    AND    TRAPPERS-BONGO   NSANDA-CONGO   *;f  •'•^';.  "^"^^^;";:;'-'^';;: 
BACCO-RETUKN     OF     THE     WAR     CANOES-BURIAL     CEREMONY-NATH  E    ««^"^"«* 
ARRIVAL  OF  KEYS-BUFFALO   HUNTING— A  SAD   DISASTER.  ^*''f-°  "'-'" 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  VI. 

Buffalo  hunting— Cacsht  in  a  storm— a  spirit  in  a  rifle  barrkl— The  medicine 
MAN'S  UKTREAT— Extraction  of  bullets— Friendly  chat  with  thF.  natives— 
A  HUMAN  sacrifice— The  Executioner— Horrors  of  slavery— The  young  chief 
Ndobo— His  despotism  and  fate.  pages  115-133 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Short  hand  speech— "Nyo"— Congo  orators— Legal  Discussions -A  duel— The  sleep- 
ing sickness— Gorillas— Natural  punishments— Fights  amongst  animals— A 
guinea  fowl  story— An  ii.l-tempered  hippo— The  Congo  Free  State— Lukolela 

abandoned.  pages  134-151 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  trip  down  stream— Robbed  by  a  hippo— Liebrechts  at  Bolobo  Station— " Iba- 
KA"— Charm  worship— "The  Red  Opera  Hat"— Charged  by  a  buffalo— The 
HABY's  bath— Taken  by  a  crocodile— Abandon  Bolobo— Visit  to  Bangala— 
Native  Carriers— A  trip  to  England.  pages  152-169 


CHAPTER  IX. 

NEW  Expedition— Back  to  the  Congo— Renewal  of  old  acquaintances— Ele- 
phants' moonlight  stroll— Established  at  Bukute— African  yoi;ngsters- 
Bieselo— Elephant  hunting— Euelu  of  Monzole- The  Signal  Drum— The 
Baumbe— Bukunu  the  young  Nganga— Ivory  trading— Bienelo's  enemy- In 
Command    of    the    "Florida."  pages  170-187 


CHAPTER  X. 

Luldngu  Pirates— a  Row  with  the  Natives— Slave  Markets— The  Lufembe  Raid- 
ers—Thk  Balolo— Elephants  at  night— A  rude  awakening— Malinga  village— 
My  brother  Isekeaka— Natives  ask  for  help— Ivory  trading— Slavery  in  the 

IKELEMBA.  pages  188-206 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Return  to  K ins assa— Hunting  in  Stanley  Pool— The  "New  York"— Stanley- The 
Emin  Bev  Relief  Expedition-Tippu  Tib— My  cook  "Mochindu"— The  Fierce 
Bai.ui— Bienelo's  fight— I^agging  an  elephant— Cannibal  warriors— War— Bar- 
barous customs— Pishing— Killed  by  an  elephant.  pages  207-227 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Arab  Slavery— Tippu  Tib— Persecuted  natives— Ivory— Thompson's  hunt  at  night— 
A  TRIP  UP  THE  RuKi— Attacked  by  cannibals— Diving  for  a  wounded  croco- 
dile—Athletic meeting— "Nep"— Progress  on  the  Congo— Suppression  of 
Slavery— Overland  to  the  coast— Congo  Railway— Home  Again.  pages  228-247 


»    - 


AN  INTRODUCTION  BY  MR.  H.  M.  STANLEY. 


Mr.  E.  J.  Glave,  the  author  of  this  book,  is  one  of  those  young 
Englishmen  who,  in  1883,  were  sent  to  me  for  service  on  the  Congo, 
by  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  the  International  Association  of 
Brussels,  I  soon  recognized  in  Mr.  Glave  those  qualities  for  which 
I  was  eagerly  searching  in  the  applicants  for  service,  and  which 
were  absolutely  necessary  in  a  pioneer.  He  was  tall,  strong,  and 
of  vigorous  constitution,  with  a  face  marked  by  earnestness  and 
resolve,  and  when  I  began  questioning  him  I  was  agreeably  sur- 
prised to  find  his  sentiments  equal  to  his  appearance.  His  period 
of  probation  at  Stanley  Pool  w^as  therefore  short.  I  was  in  need 
of  a  chi3f  for  a  new  station  that  was  to  be  built  at  Lukolela — a 
place  about  three  hundred  miles  above  the  Pool,  and  I  selected 
him. 

On  reaching  the  locality  I  pointed  out  to  Mr.  Glave  the  site  of 
the  future  station,  and  certainly  nothing  could  be  more  unpromis- 
ing and  more  calculated  to  damp  mere  effervescent  ardor  than 
the  compact  area  of  black  forest— raising  its  tall  head  two  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  bank— and  shadowing  so  darkly  the  river's 
margin— but  Mr,  Glave  regarded  it  with  interest,  and  a  smile  of 
content,  and  accepted  the  responsibilities  then  and  there  intrusted 
to  him  with  a  pleasure  not  to  be  suppressed.  We  landed  and  made 
fast  under  the  broad  leafy  shadows,  turned  to  and  commenced  to 
chop  the  forest  giants  down,  in  order  that  a  little  sunshine  might 
be  let  down  upon  the  site.  When  this  was  done,  we  prepared  to 
advance  up  the  river,  leaving  the  debris  of  the  forest  littering  the 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

ground,  and  with  the  stern  patriarchs  seemingly  challenging  the 
slight,  pale-faced  young  man  and  his  little  following  to  attack 
them. 

I  was  absent  for  a  few  months  up  river,  and  as  I  descended  my 
mind  often  reverted  to  young  Glave  left  in  the  woods  of  Lukolela. 
For  in  those  early  days  of  Congo  pioneers  it  was  rare  to  meet  a 
man  who  could  tackle  work  for  the  mere  pleasure  in  work.  Most 
men  found  that  work  was  a  bore,  and  took  the  earliest  opportunity' 
to  sail  home  again  after  their  too  brief  visit,  and  I  more  than  half 
suspected  that  possibly  the  young  Englishman  had  by  this  discov- 
ered that  the  climate  did  not  agree  with  him,  or  that  pioneering 
had  lost  its  charms.  But  when  I  came  opposite  Lukolela  Woods 
I  curiously  examined  the  extent  of  tree-clad  bank,  and  long  before 
we  came  to  the  landing-place  we  found  that  the  clearing  had  been 
vastly  increased,  and  a  large  sunny  area  was  revealed,  and  a 
commodious  house  flanked  by  rows  of  neat  huts  was  approaching 
completion.  It  was  not,  however,  until  we  stood  in  the  middle  of 
the  clearing,  and  roughly  computed  the  huge  stumps  of  trees  and 
looked  narrowly  into  the  details,  that  we  could  quite  realize  what 
energy  and  good  will  had  been  devoted  to  effect  the  change.  From 
the  view  I  then  obtained,  I  always  regarded  Mr.  Glave  as  one  who 
in  the  future  would  probably  surpass  his  opportunities.  He  also 
showed  me  note-books  which  revealed  an  artist,  as  well  as  a  future 
literary  aspirant.  But  I  regret  for  his  sake  that  the  opportunities 
which  specially  suit  him  are  riot  so  frequent  as  his  merits  deserve. 
His  conscientiousness,  his  inflexible  determination  to  do  the  most 
that  can  be  done  in  a  given  period,  the  love  with  which  he  sets 
about  it,  and  the  absorbing  interest  it  has  for  him,  make  me  who 
know  his  worth,  feel  sorry  that  he  cannot  find  the  peculiar  hard 
task  for  which  he  is  so  fitted,  and  wherein  he  could  be  so  happy. 

Many  people  have  called  me  hard,  but  they  are  always  those 
whose  presence  a  field  of  work  could  best  dispense  with,  and 
whose  nobility  is  too  nice  to  be  stained  with  toil.  Glave  is  not  one 
of  these,  but  a  man  who  relishes  a  task  for  its  bigness,  and  takes 
to  it  with  a  fierce  joy.  In  the  meantime,  however,  let  him  indulge 
his  literary  aspirations,  and  for  relief  handle  his  pen  and  pencil  in 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

delineating  some  of  his  early  experiences  in  African  pioneering. 
I  think  he  can  do  it  well,  to  the  pleasure  of  many  stay-at-home 
readers  in  parlor  and  school,  on  the  farm  and  at  the  counter,  for 
as  every  one  cannot  go  to  Africa,  why  may  not  Africa  be  brought 
to  them  as  is  here  done  by  my  friend,  Mr.  E.  J.  Glave. 

Hknry  M.  Stanley. 


1    >_    >    »    1 


»    >  1  »    >    > 


"BUNDUKI    SULTANI    YA   BARA   BARA." 
(THE   GUN    IS    THE   SULTAN  OF  AFRICA.) 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  BC'VS  AMBITION. 
Longing  for  foukign  tuavkl— African  Exploration— Reckivk  orukrs  to  join  Stani-i;y— 

(iOUDBVK    TO    OLD    ENGLAND— THE    KROO- BOYS— THE    AFRICAN    COAST— ARRIVAL    AT    THE 

Congo   Rivkr-The   overland   march— All   struck   down   nv   fever— Death    of   a 

COMPANION—  The     snuff    taking    Ba-KONGO  — JI EKTING    with    SIANLEV     on    the    VIPER 

Congo. 

Very  early  in  life  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  some  day  see 
for  myself  the  wonderful  countries  that  I  read  of  in  books  of  travel 
and  adventure  that  formed  the  whole  of  my  schoolboy  library.  I 
lived  in  imagination  in  strange  countries  and  among  wild  tribes — 
my  heroes  were  all  pioneers,  trappers,  and  hunters  of  big  game ; 
and  after  I  had  eagerly  turned  over  the  pages  of  Stanley's  search 
for  Livingstone,  and  followed  with  breathless  attention  the  narra- 
tive of  his  thrilling  journey,  "Through  the  Dark  Continent,"  I 
would  close  the  book  and  wonder  whether  it  would  ever  be  my 
good  fortune  to  cross  the  seas  or  live  under  the  tropical  sun,    I  de- 


f       f 


•,     " 


e  < 

«        c    «     e       «    f  c 

»      r       •     <        •     »  r 

*  *  *       '  r       '       '  ' 


t      t 
rccecrr  f  c  , 


,  r     t 
t     * 


,',,.'r/r-.'  .«... 


16  liV^  ,SAFAG^  AFRICA. 

cided  within  myself  that  I  would  make  my  own  way  in  the  world, 
away  from  the  beaten  tracks  of  civilization. 

I  was  quite  prepared  to  go  anywhere,  and,  if  there  had  been  any 
demand  for  my  services,  would  have  volunteered  with  equal  alac- 
rity to  join  expeditions  to  the  North  Pole  or  the  South  Seas. 

But  I  remember  that,  even  at  school,  Africa  had  a  peculiar  fas- 
cination for  me.  A  great  map  of  the  "  Dark  Continent"  hung  on 
the  walls  of  my  class-room;  the  tentative  way  in  which  the 
geographers  of  that  day  had  marked  down  localities  in  almost 
unknown  equatorial  regions  seemed  to  me  delightful  and  mys- 
terious. 

There  were  rivers  with  great  estuaries,  which  were  traced  on 
the  chart  for  a  few  miles  into  the  interior  and  then  dribbled  away 
in  lines  of  hesitating  dots ;  lakes  with  one  border  firmly  inked  in 
and  the  other  left  in  vaguest  outline ;  mountain  ranges  to  whose 
very  name  was  appended  a  doubtful  query ;  and  territories  of 
whose  extent  and  characteristics,  ignorance  was  openly  confessed 
by  vast  unnamed  blank  spaces. 

This  idea  of  travel  was  always  present  to  me,  but  very  soon 
after  I  left  school  and  had  to  suffer  the,  to  me,  distasteful  experi- 
ence of  office-work,  the  realization  of  it  seemed  to  grow  more  and 
m.ore  improbable.  Many  dreary  months  passed  on.  I  hated  the 
foggy  London  streets  and  the  ways  of  city  life  and  longed  only 
for  the  time  of  my  deliverance,  without  knowing  who  could  help 

me. 

I  had  no  friends  in  any  way  connected  with  exploring  expedi- 
tions in  any  part  of  the  globe.  Still,  here  was  I  in  this  great  city 
of  London,  whence  expeditions  were  constantly  dispatched  to  the 
remotest  parts  of  the  earth ;  and  I  reasoned  that  members  must 
frequently  be  wanted,  and  sometimes  at  a  moment's  notice,  to  join 
some  perilous  enterprise.  If  I  could  only  get  my  name  noted  by 
the  proper  authorities,  I  might  by  chance  be  sent  in  an  emergency. 

At  that  time  several  influential  and  philanthropic  gentlemen, 
earnestly  interested  in  Stanley's  wonderful  explorations  in  Central 
Africa,  and  recognizing  the  mutual  benefit  that  would  accrue  from 
the  opening  up,  by  civilization,  of  the  heart  of  Africa,  had  formed 


COLONEL  STRAUCH.  17 

themselves,  under  the  royal  patronage  of  King  Leopold  II.  of  Bel- 
gium, into  a  society  entitled  "  L' Association  Internationale  Af ri- 
caine." 

Stanley,  having  taken  a  few  months'  rest  to  recuperate  his 
health,  enfeebled  by  illness  and  hardships  during  his  great  jour- 
ney through  Africa,  was  now  again  on  the  Congo  River,  in  com- 
mand of  a  large  expedition  under  the  auspices  of  this  new  society, 
and  was  engaged  in  founding  along  the  course  of  the  river,  a  line 
of  garrison  stations  which  should  form  the  nucleus  of  a  govern- 
ment destined,  ultimately,  to  rule  these  vast  territories  so  aptly 
described  as  the  "Dark  Continent." 

I  found  out  that  this  association  had  its  offices  in  Brussels,  and 
so  I  sat  doWn  and  patiently  laid  siege  to  these  gentlemen — I  bom- 
barded them  with  letters  and  applications ;  for  a  long  time  there 
was  no  result,  but  one  day,  to  my  intense  delight,  I  received  a 
communication  from  the  long-suffering  secretary.  It  was  very 
brief — a  bare  acknowledgment  of  the  receipt  of  my  applications, 
with  the  intimation  that  there  were  "No  vacancies,"  and  that  at 
any  rate  they  needed  only  experienced  men — as  I  was  only  nine- 
teen years  of  age  at  that  time  I  certainly  did  not  fill  this  require- 
ment. This  might  have  disheartened  some,  but  it  had  the  con- 
trary effect  on  me.  The  mere  fact  of  the  secretary  taking  any 
notice  of  my  letters  was  enough.  A  small  ray  of  hope  had  fallen 
on  my  path,  and  the  future  appeared  less  dark  after  the  receipt  of 
this  letter  which  seemed  ominous  of  success  some  day.  A  breach 
had  been  made  in  the  dead  walls  of  indifference  that  barred  the 
way  to  the  realization  of  my  ambition,  and  I  applied  myself  again 
with  renewed  vigor  to  my  task  of  letter-writing. 

At  last,  one  memorable  day,  I  received  another  letter,  this  time 
to  the  effect  that  the  vice  president  of  the  society,  Colonel  Strauch, 
wTuld  be  at  the  Burlington  Hotel,  Cork  street.  London,  at  nine 
o'clock  the  following  morning  and  requested  me  to  meet  him 
there. 

I  had  finally  gained  my  point.  How  well  I  remember  pacing 
up  and  down  Cork  street  for  hours  before  the  time  appointed  for 
the  momentous  interview.    The  hour  arrived.    I  was  at  once  shown 


18  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

into  the  rooms  occupied  by  the  colonel,  who  received  me  in  the 
kindest  manner. 

He  conversed  with  me  for  some  time  upon  the  nature  of  this 
African  enterprise,  and  described,  with  the  utmost  candor,  all  the 
worst  features  of  a  pioneer's  life  in  such  a  country — the  hundred 
ills  to  be  contended  with,  the  fevers  and  other  sicknesses  to  be 
guarded  against,  the  incessant  watchfulness  the  white  officer  has 
to  exercise  when  surrounded  by  savage  and  superstitious  natives, 
and  lastly  the  small  reward  to  be  gained  after  years  of  hard  work 
and  anxiety.  But  if  the  colonel  had  painted  the  prospect  in  even 
darker  colors,  he  would  have  been  unable  to  dissuade  me  from  fol- 
lowing out  my  plan.  I  told  him  that  I  was  determined  to  go,  and 
was  prepared  for  anything.  When  I  left  him,  however,  my 
chances  did  not  seem  to  have  advanced  much,  as  the  colonel  could 
not  definitely  promise  me  an  appointment,  and  would  commit  him- 
self only  to  a  pledge  that  he  would  bear  me  in  mind  if  any  oppor- 
tunity offered, 

A  few  days  after  this  interview,  I  again  commenced  writing  let- 
ters, so  that  my  name  might  not  be  forgotten.  I  received,  one 
Saturday  morning,  a  letter  bearing  the  Brussels  postmark.  It  was 
from  Colonel  Strauch,  asking  me  if  I  was  prepared  to  enter  the 
service  of  the  African  International  Association  and  to  start  from 
Liverpool  on  the  following  Tuesday  morning.  "Yes,"  I  answered, 
by  cable,  without  hesitation.  Of  course  I  could.  I  really  believe 
that  rather  than  submit  to  the  incessant  worry  of  receiving  and 
answering  my  pestering  communications  he  had  gaven  me  the  ap- 
pointment. 

It  was  awkward,  certainlj",  that  the  intervening  day  being  Sun- 
day, little  time  was  left  for  saying  good-by  to  my  friends,  or  get- 
ting together  any  sort  of  a  well-selected  outfit. 

On  the  other  hand,  my  friends  were  always  prepared  to  hear  of 
my  departure,  my  determination  to  travel  through  foreign  lands 
was  well  known  to  them,  and  they  would  be  satisfied  with  the 
briefest  adieus.  Monday  was  indeed  a  busy  day,  I  was  con- 
vinced, from  what  I  had  read,  that  the  elaborate  kits  furnished  by 
enterprising  outfitters  in  London  were  of  little  service  in  the  trop- 


THE  AFRICAN  COAST.  19 

ics,  and  that  an  accumulation  of  unnecessary  baggage  was  the 
thing  to  be  avoided.  So  I  confined  myself  to  the  purchase  of  a 
very  moderate  kit ;  but,  being  compelled  to  rush  from  one  store  to 
another  to  get  the  different  articles— here  to  purchase  gun  and 
rifle  and  cartridges  and  pistol  belt;  at  another  place,  boots  and 
leggings,  and  then  to  some  outfitter's  for  my  stock  of  clothing 
^suitable  for  the  tropics ;  what  with  this  and  the  numerous  friends 
to  whom  I  was  compelled  to  bid  good-by,  I  found  my  time  fully 
occupied  until  I  left  by  the  midnight  train  for  Liverpool. 

On  Tuesday  morning  I  was  steaming  down  the  Mersey  on  board 
the  good  ship  "  Volta,"  bound  for  the  port  of  Banana  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Congo.  The  letter  in  my  pocket  from  the  African  Interna- 
tional Association  instructing  me  to  proceed  to  Central  Africa  and 
place  myself  under  the  orders  of  Stanley  was  a  keen  satisfaction 
to  my  boyish  but  ambitious  spirit. 

I  found  among  my  fellow-passengers  others  whose  destination 
was  the  same  as  mine;  there  were  some  Swedish  and  Belgian 
officers  engaged  by  the  association,  and  also  three  Englishmen. 
Milne,  Edwards,  and  Connelly,  seafaring  men  who  had  traveled 
all  over  the  world.  We  four  fellow-countrymen  naturally  became 
very  intimate  on  the  voyage,  and  hoped  that  our  fortunes  would 
not  be  separate  when  we  reached  our  destination. 

Seven  days'  steaming  brought  us  to  the  picturesque  island  of 
Madeira,  where  we  anchored  only  a  few  hours,  and  then  made  for 
the  African  shores ;  and  in  another  six  days  we  drew  in  toward 
the  low-lying  coast,  whose  tall  palm  trees  we  had  plainly  seen  for 
some  time  on  the  horizon,  and  cast  anchor  opposite  the  town  of 
Sierra  Leone.  Finding  that  there  was  nothing  to  detain  him  at 
this  port,  after  a  few  hours  the  captain  weighed  anchor,  and  we 
dropped  down  along  the  shore  until  we  reached  moorings  abreast 
of  one  of  the  villages  of  the  Kroo-men.  Here  the  ship's  cannon 
was  fired  to  announce  to  the  natives  our  arrival — and  the  report, 
as  it  boomed  over  the  placid  sea,  was  the  signal  for  great  activity 
on  shore.  Hundreds  of  black  figures  rushed  to  the  water's  edge, 
launched  their  dug-out  canoes,  and.  in  a  few  minutes  after  our 
signal  had  been  fired,  were  speeding  over  the  surf  toward  us,  fill- 


20 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


ing  the  air  with  their  excited  jargon  and  laughter.  As  soon  as  a 
rope  ladder  could  be  thrown  over  the  ship's  side  they  scrambled 
on  board.  Never  were  human  beings  more  fantastically  attired. 
Fashion  here  seems  to  insist  on  variety,  and  no,  two  men  wore- 
clothes  of  the  same  cut  or  color.  Among  the  crowd  I  noticed  a 
few  whose  elegant  taste  was  evidently  much  admired  by  their  fel- 
lows. One,  whose  sole  garment  was  a  pair  of  brightly  striped 
bathing-drawers,  had  covered  his  woolly  skull  with  the  brass  hel- 
met of  an  English  Life-Guardsman  ;  while  another  dusky  Hercules 
had  squeezed  his  massive  frame  into  a  drummer-boy's  coat,  the  tails 


A  VISIT  FROM   THE   "KROO-BOYS. 


of  which  dangled  just  below  his  shoulder-blades,  the  grotesque- 
ness  of  the  costume  being  heightened  by  his  wearing  a  red  plusk 
"Tarn  o'Shanter"  bonnet.  A  third,  who  strutted  our  decks  with, 
conscious  pride,  was  wearing  a  lady's  black  Cashmere  dolman  and 
a  tall  silk  hat.  It  seemed  to  me  at  first  that  these  extraordinary 
people  must  have  just  returned  from  looting  some  gigantic  second- 
hand clothes  store.  I  learned  afterward  that  cast-off  garments  of 
all  kinds  have  a  ready  market  among  these  people ;  whole  cargoes 
of  assorted  costumes  are  shipped  to  this  coast  and  exchanged  hy 
the  white  traders  for  African  produce. 

These  "Kroo-boys,"  as  our  strangely  attired  visitors  are  called 
on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  are  the  laborers  always  employed  by 
the  trading  houses  on  the  coast  and  by  the  steamers. 


THE  KROO-BOYS. 


21 


Captains  of  ships  are  commissioned  by  the  traders  down  south 
to  engage  men  for  them,  on  the  outward-bound  voyage.  Some- 
times a  boat  will  ship  as  many  as  four  hundred  Kroo-men  des- 
tined for  the  traders  down  the  coast  in  need  of  labor;  and  the 
African  coasters  which  leave  Liverpool  short  of  hands,  make  up 
their  full  crews  by  the  addition  of  Kroo-boys  to  each  department. 

The  men  hired  by  the  traders  are  shipped  in  gangs  of  twenty  or 
thirty,  each  gang  being  in 
charge  of  a  head  man  who 
brings  them  back  at  the 
expiration  of  their  time  of 
service,  which  is  usually 
one  year.  They  have  a 
curious  fashion  of  select- 
ing for  themselves  Euro- 
pean  names,  and  in  order 
to  prevent  any  mistake 
arising  from  the  inability 
of  most  Europeans  to  tell, 
off-hand,  one  negro  from 
another,  they  wear  these 
names  cut  into  metal 
badges  slung  round  their 
necks  like  large  baggage 
checks. 

This  excellent  plan  en- 
abled me  to  discover  that  for  the  honor  of  this  visit  we  were 
indebted  to  such  distinguished  names  as  "Pea-soup,"  "Bottle- 
of-Beer,"  "Lee  Scupper,"  "Poor-Man-have-no-Friend,"  and 
several  other  aristocratic  cognomens  bestowed  on  them  by 
mariners  who  visit  these  shores.  Another  of  their  peculi- 
arities interested  me  greatly.  The  ordinary  passenger  starts  with 
well-filled  trunks,  whose  contents  have  a  tendency  to  waste 
away,  the  longer  the  voyage  lasts,  but  I  noticed  that  our  new 
acquaintances  each  brought  with  them  an  empty  box,  which, 
when  carried  down  the  gangway -plank  on  the  head  of  Mr.  Bottle- 


'KROO-BOY6"   IN  PULL  DRES8. 


22  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

of -Beer  or  Lee  Scupper,  bulged  open  with  a  hundred  unconsidered 
trifles,  gleaned  by  industrious  fingers  from  decks  and  cabins. 

A  few  days  after  we  had  shipped  our  new  hands,  we  were  lying^ 
in  the  mouth  of  the  Niger.  The  "  Volta"  was  to  remain  at  Bonny 
three  days,  to  discharge  and  take  in  cargo,  and  here  our  small  band 
of  embryo  explorers  first  placed  foot  on  the  shores  of  the  great 
continent  which  was  to  be  the  scene  of  our  future  experiences. 
We  wandered  about  the  small  settlement  of  European  traders  and 
then  passed  on  to  the  natives'  quarters  on  the  outskirts.  What- 
a  miserable  first  glimpse  we  had  of  Africa  and  the  Africans. 

These  wretched,  filthy  huts,  rudely  thatched  with  grass  and 
bamboo,  with  their  still  more  wretched  inhabitants,  the  half- 
intoxicated  groups  of  listless  natives,  who  watched  our  progress 
through  the  village,  with  bleared  and  swimming  eyes,  told  with 
painful  eloquence  the  demoralizing  effect  on  the  savage  of  some 
of  the  products  of  our  civilization.  A  goodly  part  of  every  cargo 
shipped  to  the  coast  is  composed  of  cases  of  a  fiery  spirit  which  is 
freely  given  to  the  natives  in  exchange  for  their  palm  oil,  palm 
nuts,  ivory  or  beeswax.  As  the  white  men's  settlement  itself  is 
bright  and  prosperous,  with  its  solid  white  houses,  the  contrast 
with  the  degradation  and  squalor  of  the  natives  is  rendered  all  the 
more  saddening.  We  saw  the  same  scenes  all  along  the  coast,  as 
we  went  in  and  out  of  a  number  of  small  ports  whose  names  were^ 
once  famous  or  infamous  in  connection  with  the  slave-trade. 

We  now  were  making  our  way  south,  hugging  the  shore  and 
anchoring  only  when  trade  offered.  The  long  voyage  was  in  this 
way  relieved  from  monotony,  and  every  day's  incidents  formed  a 
fresh  budget  of  news  to  be  discussed  in  the  cabin  at  nightfall. 
What  stories  were  told!  What  extraordinary  adventures  the 
most  of  us  met  with  in  our  brief  trips  ashore. 

We  had  two  enthusiastic  hunters  in  our  party  who  were  excep- 
tionally well  posted  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  sport,  especially 
the  slaying  of  big  game.  But  heretofore  their  lives  had  been 
where  such  knowledge  availeth  nothing. 

No  one  knew  so  well  as  they  the  habits  of  the  wildest  beasts; 
how,  if   opportunity  offered,  to  track  them  to  their  secret  lairs;. 


'•  D  UKE  HENSHA  W. " 


23 


when  and  where  to  catch  them ;  and,  when  caught,  how  to  cook 
them,  They  had  with  them  shot  of  all  sizes  and  guns  by  the  best 
makers,  with  all  the  most  recent  impro\  ements. 

As  yet  they  had  not  fired  a  shot,  but  if  a  chance  occurred  we 
should  see  I  Parbleu  I  It  was  at  Bonny  that  a  fitting  opportunity 
presented  itself.  Rumors  reached  us  as  we  lay  in  the  stream,  that 
there  was  excellent  shooting  in  the  surrounding  country.  Away 
started  our  friends,  early  one  morning,  fully  equipped,  everything 
new — guns,  game-bags  and  costumes,  pistols  and  knives.  All 
day  long  we  missed  them  from  the  ship  and  it  was  only  late  in 
the  afternoon  that  we  saw  them  putting  off  from  the  shore.  Ex- 
pectation ran  high  on  board.  Every  one  speculated  on  the  result 
of  the  day's  sport,  and  when  they  marched  up  the  gangway, 
broiled  red  as  lobsters  by  the  tropical  sun,  and  holding  up  in  tri- 
umph the  body  of  a  small  kingfisher,  we  felt  that  intelligence  and 
skill  could  do  no  more.  For  myself,  I  was  most  interested  in 
studying  the  curiously  diverse  types  of  natives  met  Avith  in  the 
different  ports  we  touched  at.  At  old  Calabar,  a  visit  to  one  of 
the  chiefs  in  that  district  made  a  great  impression  on  me  by  its 
fantastic  quaintness.  This  old  fellow  was  living  in  a  fine,  large, 
plank  house  which  had  been  originally  made  for  him  in  Europe 
and  sent  out  in  sections  to  be  put  together  on  his  ground.  I  found 
him  seated  in  a  large  room  profusely  decorated  with  cheap  mir- 
rors, china  ornaments,  and  large,  gaudy  oleographs.  Numerous 
clocks  chimed  and  struck  the  hours  from  each  of  the  four  walls. 
"Duke  Henshaw"  (the  name  by  which  the  chief  was  known),  in- 
different to  all  this  grandeur,  was  seated  on  the  floor  smoking  a 
long  clay  pipe,  and  at  the  time  of  my  visit  was  attired  in  a  bath- 
towel.  While  I  was  gazing  about  me,  hardly  able  to  realize  the 
full  absurdity  of  the  picture,  I  heard  myself  addressed  in  the 
choicest  phrases  by  the  old  Duke,  and,  in  tones  which  would  not 
have  sounded  amiss  from  a  Piccadilly  "dude,"  he  urged  me  to 
accept  his  hospitality. 

He  then  told  me,  when  he  noticed  my  surprise,  that  he  had 
received  the  advantages  of  a  European  education— and  that 
although  he  once  wore  broadcloth  and  stiff  collars,  he  now  pre- 


24  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

ferred  hiis  costume  light  and  airy  and  with  no  starch  in  it.  Our 
stays  at  most  of  the  trading-stations  were  so  brief  that  I  rarely 
attempted  to  go  ashore,  but,  while  we  took  m  cargo,  would  lean 
lazily  over  the  bulwarks  and  watch  the  swarm  of  dug-out  canoes 
which  crowded  around  the  vessel,  laden  witii  monkeys  and  par- 
rots, cocoanuts,  pineapples,  bananas,  and  a  hundred  varieties  of 
vegetables  whose  names  were  then  unknown  to  me. 

We  had  been  forty-five  days  on  board  when  the  captain  drew 
our  attention  to  the  color  of  the  water  through  whicli  the  vessel 
was  moving.  "That  is  the  water  of  the  Congo,"  said  he,  and  far 
out  into  the  blue  Atlantic  we  could  see  the  turbid,  muddy  stream 
thrusting  its  way  and  refusing  to  mingle  with  the  waters  of  the 
ocean.  And  soon  the  Volta  was  plowing  her  way  through  a 
mass  of  tropical  vegetation  littered  over  the  surface  of  the  sea  in 
every  direction,  the  waters  growing  tawnier  and  darker  as  we 
steamed  slowly  in  toward  shore;  at  last  when  within  a  few  miles 
of  land  we  were  able  to  perceive  our  destination  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Congo.  For  there  in  the  distance  glistened  the  low--lying, 
white-roofed  little  settlement  of  Banana  Point,  which  was  at  this 
time  the  general  depot  of  all  supplies  for  the  interior.  The  large 
steamers,  loaded  with  merchandise  from  Europe,  discharged  their 
cargoes  at  this  port  to  be  transshipped  to  smaller  vessels  and  con- 
veyed up  the  Congo.  Here  we  disembarked  Avith  all  our  belong- 
ings, and  were  hospitably  entertained  at  the  French  trading- 
house,  where  we  had  to  wait  for  the  small  steamer  which  was  to 
take  us  up  the  river.  A  very  uninteresting  place.  Banana— a 
narrow  tongue  of  sand  stretching  into  the  sea  and  a  few  plank- 
built  houses  and  stores  of  the  European  traders,  and  rows  of  huts 
occupied  by  the  black  employees ;  with  utter  absence  of  vegetation, 
the  glare  of  the  sand  and  whitened  houses,  dazzles  and  hurts 
the  eyes,  and  were  it  not  for  a  constant  sea  breeze,  the  stifling 
heat  would  be  unbearable.  It  was  a  pleasant  relief  the  next 
morning  to  find  ourselves  steaming  up  the  dark  Congo  River 
toward  Boma. 

At  Boma  we  found  a  busy  settlement  of  traders,  over  whose 
stores  floated  the  flags  of  England,  France,  Holland,  and  Portu- 


WORD  FROM  STANLEY.  25 

gal.     Gangs  of  negroes  were  discharging  the  cargoes  of  the  small 
river-steamers  which  lay  along  the  wharves. 

Here  I  experienced  the  unpleasant  introduction  to  that  univer- 
sal pest— the  mosquito.  Sleep  was  utterly  impossible.  As  Boma 
was  not  equal  to  the  sudden  demand  made  on  its  hospitality,  our 
party  had  to  lie  on  the  floor,  each  rolled  in  a  blanket.  We 
hardly  recognized  each  other  the  next  morning,  so  swollen  and 
altered  were  our  features. 

Word  reached  us  at  Boma  that  Stanley  was  anxiously  waiting 
for  new  men,  up  river,  so  we  embarked  and  continued  our  journey 
at  daybreak  next  morning.  The  growth  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
between  the  mouth  of  the  Congo  and  Boma,  is  generally  low-lying 
mangrove  swamp  or  sere  grass,  the  land  gradually  trending  away 
in  the  distance  in  ranges  of  green  hills.  From  Boma  to  Vivi  these 
hills  approach  nearer  and  nearer  the  river,-  until  finally  they  pen 
the  waters  in  a  gorge  varying  from  one-half  to  one  and  a  half 
miles  in  breadth.  The  current  becoming  swifter  and  stronger,  our 
little  steamer  had  to  battle  her  way  through  stretches  of  wild  and 
broken  water.  As  toward  evening  we  steamed  around  a  point 
within  view  of  the  station,  the  busy  little  white-roofed  settlement 
on  the  crown  of  Vivi  Hill  contrasted  pleasantly  with  the  grim  and 
w^eather-beaten  appearance  of  the  surrounding  uplands. 

This  station  had  been  Stanley's  base  of  operations  during  the 
passage  of  his  expedition  through  the  lower  reaches  of  the  river, 
and  was  now  the  down-country  depot.  The  strongly  built  maga- 
zines, well  stocked  with  all  kinds  of  stores,  provisions,  merchan- 
dise for  barter,  boat-gear,  arms,  and  ammunition,  bore  evidence 
of  how  thorough  had  been  the  foresight  of  Stanley  in  equipping 
his  expedition.  Above  this  point  a  succession  of  rapids,  whirl- 
pools, and  perilous  channels,  render  the  stream  unnavigable,  and 
an  overland  march  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  is  necessary 
before  navigable  waters  are  again  reached  at  Stanley  Pool.  There 
are  sections  of  this  part  of  the  river,  however,  upon  which  boats 
can  be  used  for  a  few  miles. 

At  Vivi  our  stay  was  short;  after  one  day's  delay  we  received 
our  stores   for  the  march  overland  to  Isanghela.  they  consisted 


26  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

of  a  few  tins  of  preserved  meats,  a  spoon  and  a  knife  for  each 
man,  some  medicines,  a  little  cloth  to  buy  fresh  provisions  from 
the  natives  on  the  road,  and  of  course  arms  and  amnmnition. 
Thus  equipped,  we  were  to  set  out  for  Isangliela,  and  go  thence  to 
Stanley  Pool.  Before  daybreak,  on  the  day  of  our  departure,  we 
were  up  and  impatient  for  the  start.  For  the  first  time  I  donned 
the  traditional  dress  of  the  explorer,  and  felt  proud  indeed  of  the 
helmet,  leggings  and  revolver  belt.  All  our  belongings  had  to  be 
carried  by  native  porters,  and  it  was  a  tedious  business  getting 
the  negroes  into  marching  order ;  hours  were  wasted  in  their  ab- 
surd disputes  before  we  could  get  fairly  away  from  the  station. 
Each  carrier  had  some  complaint  to  make  about  the  load 
which  was  given  to  him.  It  was  either  "too  big,"  or  "too 
heavy,"  or  else  was  awkwardly  shaped.  However,  they  managed 
finally  to  settle  it  among  themselves,  and  after  much  gesticu- 
lating and  grumbling,  differences  were  adjusted.  But  I  was 
grieved  to  see  when  our  caravan  at  last  moved  off,  that  the  smal- 
lest and  weakest  looking  men  invariably  carried  the  heaviest  loads. 

At  times  our  path  would  lead  along  a  curve  of  the  river-bank 
and  give  us  glimpses  of  wild  and  magnificent  scenery.  Now,  a 
dense  forest  grew  with  tropical  luxuriance  to  the  very  hill-tops, 
and  tumbled  in  folds  of  gorgeous  shrubbery  to  the  water's  edare ; 
a  few  miles  beyond  bare  perpendicular  cliffs  rose  abruptly  on  both 
shores  and  walled  in  the  raging  waters  of  the  Congo.  Jagged 
rocks  of  fantastic  shapes  and  giant  size,  standing  out  boldly  in 
general  disorder,  bade  defiance  to  the  eddying  current  which 
hurled  itself  against  them  and  then  swept  along  with  a  hissing 
sound  as  if  angered  at  their  stern  resistance. 

The  order  of  the  day  during  the  march  was  as  follows:  at 
the  first  streaks  of  dawn,  after  a  light  breakfast  of  a  cup  of  tea, 
unfiavored  by  milk  or  sugar,  and  a  ship's  biscuit— during  which 
our  caravan  of  porters  made  their  loads  ready— we  would  move 
off,  and  be  well  on  the  road  by  half -past  -six,  and  continue  march- 
ing until  noon,  when  we  would  rest  for  the  day. 

At  night  we  would  sleep  sometimes  on  the  floor  of  some 
native   hut;    or,  if  crossing  an  open  plain,  would  lie  down  just 


UP-STREAM  IN  A   WHALE-BOAT.  27 

as  contentedly  with  no   covering  but  a  blanket  and  the  starlit 
sky. 

During  the  inarch  I  was  anxiously  watching  for  wild  game,  al- 
ways carrying  my  old  Snider  ready  loaded  in  case  a  buffalo  should 
happen  to  cross  my  path.  It  was  fortunate  that  no  wild  animal 
offered  itself  to  be  fired  at;  for,  at  that  time,  had  I  pitched  my 
skill  against  the  instinct  of  the  buffalo,  the  result,  I  am  afraid 
would  have  been  unfortunate  for  me.  At  Isanghela  our  party 
was  divided — half  of  the  men  being  told  off  for  service  on  the 
lower  river,  while  we  four  Englishmen  and  one  Swedish  officer 
were  to  make  our  way  up  river,  to  join  Stanley.  Our  division 
started  early  on  the  morning  after  our  arrival  in  a  whale-boat 
manned  by  Zanzibaris,  for  Manyanga,  eighty -eight  miles  distant; 

this  stretch  of  water  is  navigable  only  with  the  greatest  care 

buffeted  by  sunken  bowlder  and  rocky  bluff  the  torrent  pluno-es 
with  disordered  surface  towards  the  sea;  only  by  continuously 
hugging  the  shore  and  hauling  with  ropes  can  a  boat  ascend  the 
stream ;  the  most  powerful  steamer  afloat  could  make  no  head- 
way in  mid-stream  against  the  current  in  some  sections  of  the 
channel. 

The  surrounding  scenery  is  as  wild  as  the  water  it  incloses,  and 
changes  with  everv  turn  of  the  river;  at  times  the  shores  are 
richly  clothed  in  brilliant  foliage,  then  rounding  another  bend  tall 
barren  cliffs  stand  sentinel  on  either  side,  their  heights  worn  by 
time  into  jagged  pinnacles,  their  bases  torn  and  shattered  by  the 
fierce  flood  perpetuallly  assailing  them. 

We  saw  but  little  life  during  the  long  nine  days  we  struggled 
up-stream. 

Sometimes  at  early  morn  an  antelope,  startled  from  its  morning 
drink  by  the  plash  of  oars  or  the  songs  of  our  rowers,  would  spring 
gracefully  into  cover;  or  yve  would  disturb  a  troop  of  monkeys 
playing  at  the  water's  edge,  who  scrambled  away  in  frantic  haste 
to  hide  themselves  in  the  tree-tops,  screaming  and  chattering  at 
us  as  we  passed. 

The  feathered  tribe  seemed  very  poorly  represented ;  we  saw 
only  a  few  tish-eagles,  perched  on  overhanging  branches  in  medita- 


28  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

tive  attitudes,  heads  on  one  side,  watching  and  waiting,  prepared 
to  dart  on  their  prey  at  the  first  scaly  glimpse  of  the  leaping  fish. 
Once  or  twice  we  heard  the  snorts  of  hippopotami  around  our  boat 
when  we  moored  for  the  night.  As  we  slept,  each  wrapped 
in  his  blanket,  lying  ath wart-ship  on  bales  and  boxes,  it  was  not 
pleasant  to  be  waked  near  midnight  by  these  unaccustomed 
sounds,  and  to  hear  the  wash  of  the  water  along  the  gunwale  as 
these  huge  monsters  plunged  about  within  a  few  yards  of  us. 

We  were  not  a  little  thankful  that  they  confined  themselves  to 
grunts  of  defiance  and  forbore  any  actual  attack,  for  by  this  time 
we  were  all  suffering  fom  African  fever,  and  a  good  night's  sleep 
was  very  precious  to  us.  Our  boat  was  small  and  overcrowded, 
and  we  were  all  good-sized  fellows  on  board ;  so  when  the  fever 
was  on  us.  it  required  considerable  ingenuity  and  much  crossing 
and  recrossing  of  legs  before  spaces  could  be  found  in  which  to- 
lie  down  at  all,  in  the  stern  sheets  of  our  little  craft. 

Poor  Milne,  a  strong,  stout-built  man,  who  had  served  twenty- 
one  years  in  the  British  Navy,  suffered  more  than  any  of  us ;  and 
by  the  time  we  reached  Manyanga  the  fever  had  taken  so  strong  a 
hold  of  him  that  his  case  became  hopeless.  We  did  all  we  could 
for  him,  but  our  small  knowledge  was  of  little  avail.  We  hoped 
that  he  would  rally  when  we  got  ashore  again,  but  five  days  after 
we  landed  he  succumbed  after  a  few  hours  of  delirium.  This  was 
indeed  a  great  blow  to  me,  for  although  there  was  a  great  differ- 
ence in  our  ages,  Milne  and  I  had  been  fast  friends  on  the  voyage 
out.  He  had  been  very  good  to  me  in  many  ways,  instead  of 
ridiculing  my  inexperience,  and  on  several  occasions  had  helped 
me  out  of  difficulties  into  which  I  had  been  led  through  ignorance. 
He  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  giving  me  such  information  as  he 
thought  would  be  of  use  to  me  when  I  should  be  away  in  the  in- 
terior and  alone.  It  was  Milne  who  first  showed  me  how  to  handle 
a  rifle,  how  to  use  a  sail  needle,  and  even  more  important,  how  to 
cook  the  few  dishes  that  have  for  years  figured  with  such  monoton- 
ous repetition  in  my  simple  bills  of  fare  in  Africa. 

In  return,  I  would  amuse  him  and  the  others  on  the  way,  by 
drawing  rough  portraits  which  they  sent  home  to  their  friends; 


THE  STRUGGLE  WITH  THE  FEVER. 


2» 


or  at  night,  I  would  sing  a  few  comic  songs  to  the  accompaniment 
of  my  banjo.     And  here,  at  the  commencement  of  our  new  career 
the  man  who  to  all  appearance  was  the  strongest  of  our  party  was 
snatched  away  by  death,  while  I,  a  not  particularly  robust  lad 
was  left  to  wonder  who  would  be  the  next  victim  of  the  dreadful 
fever  that  was   burning  in  every  vein  and  racking  every  bone. 
I  felt  then  that  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  "brace  up,"  keep  a 
stiff  upper  lip,  and  fight  every  advance  of  the  enemy.     To  my  sur- 
prise I  found  myself  day  by  day  growing  stronger,  while  my  com- 
panions weakened  and  failed ;  at  last,  one  day  I  was  able  to  an- 
nounce myself  as  prepared  to  continue  the  march.     The  Swedish 
officer  was  to  accompany  me  to  Stanley  Pool.     The  day  that  we 
left  Manyanga,  Edwards  and  Connelly  staggered  out  of  their  hut- 
to  bid  me  Godspeed   on  my  journe3\     Poor  fellows  I — they  both 
were  in  bad  condition,  wasted  and  hollow-eyed,  without  sufficient 
strength  to  throw  off  the  fever.     I  never  saw  these,  my  early  com- 
panions, again.     One  of   them,  Edwards,  lies  buried  near   Man- 
yanga. only   a   few  miles   separating  the   little   wooden    crosses 
which  mark  the  last  resting-places   of  poor  Milne   and  Edwards, 
while  Connelly  returned  home,  broken  in  health,  before  the  com- 
pletion of  his  term  of  service. 

We  now  were  obliged  to  cross  the  river,  as  our  road  to  Stanley 
Pool  lay  along  the  south  bank. 

All  the  boxes  containing  our  provisions  and  outfits  were  placed 
in  the  native  dug-out  canoes  which  were  to  carry  them  across  the 
stream.  When  all  was  ready,  my  companions  and  I  embarked, 
and  the  canoes  pushed  off  from  the  shore.  It  was  the  first  time 
either  my  friend  or  I  had  traveled  in  this  fashion,  and  our  first  ex- 
perience of  the  dug-out  canoe  was  a  very  uncomfortable  one;  our 
paddlers  and  passengers  had  to  crouch  down  as  low  as  possible  to 
steady  the  crank  craft,  and  maintain  this  cramped  position  dur- 
ing the  hour  occupied  in  fighting  a  passage  across  the  river. 
Every  now  and  then  an  eddy  would  catch  our  dug-out,  and  swing 
it  round  three  or  four  times  before  the  powerful  strokes  of  the 
paddlers  could  break  away  from  the  treacherous  whirl  which,  for 
the  time,  threatened  to  ingulf  us. 


so  /AT  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

Right  glad  were  we  to  leap  ashore  and  stretch  our  limbs  when 
the  canoes  grated  on  the  beach,  and  with  light  hearts  we  com- 
menced our  march  of  a  hundred  miles.  Everything  was  fresh  and 
delightful  to  me.  Each  mile  that  separated  me  from  the  fever- 
stricken  camp  we  had  just  escaped  brought  renewed  health  and 
strength  with  it,  and  in  spite  of  the  sad  thoughts  which  traveled 
back  to  those  left  behind,  the  future,  with  all  its  new  experiences, 
presented  itself  to  me  in  the  brightest  colors.  I  suppose  I  must 
have  boasted  to  my  companion  of  my  recently  acquired  culi- 
nary knowledge,  for  it  was  decided  that  I  should  act  as  camp 
€Ook  during  the  march.  We  procured  eggs  and  fowls,  in  ex- 
change for  our  beads  and  cloth,  from  the  natives  whose  villages  we 
passed  through,  and  I  had  to  make  the  most  of  such  materials  as 
we  could  obtain.  I  soon  found  that  my  knowledge  was  entirely 
theoretical,  and  my  companion  must  have  regretted  his  easy  cred- 
ulity when  compelled  to  partake  each  evening  of  my  strange  dishes, 
which  were  simply  uncanny  mixtures  of  flesh,  fish,  and  roots,  re- 
sultin.g  from  a  series  of  experiments.  Fruit  we  had  in  plenty.  The 
pine-apples  were  particularly  good,  and  if,  as  is  currently  believed 
through  Africa,  the  eating  of  this  fruit  is  a  certain  cause  of  fever, 
my  life  must  have  been  preserved  by  a  miracle,  for  I  ate  them 
with  undiminished  appetite  at  all  times  of  the  day. 

The  natives  along  our  line  of  route  were  invariably  friendly 
and  willing  to  supply  us  with  necessities  in  exchange  for  our 
cloth  and  beads.  The  female  part  of  the  community,  especially, 
hailed  our  arrival  among  them  with  unbounded  delight,  for 
occasions  which  enabled  them  to  barter  their  sweet  potatoes  and 
bananas  for  bright-colored  cotton  stuff  and  metal  trinkets  were 
exceedingly  rare. 

The  Ba-Congo  girls  are  not  exactly  handsome  from  our  point  of 
view,  although  they  studiously  adhere  to  the  demands  of  their  own 
formalities  of  society  life,  which,  however,  do  not  appeal  very  ear- 
nestly to  our  idea  of  beauty.  The  thick  wooden  skewers,  about 
twelve  inches  long,  piercing  nose  and  ears,  and  the  mass  of  caked 
black  clay  and  oil  so  liberally  plastered  all  over  the  head  are  adorn- 
ments which,  to  a  white  man's  mind,  do  not  produce  loveliness. 


THE  BA-CONGO. 


31 


The  one  feature  common  to  the  people  we  met  on  tlie  march 
was  their  snuffy  condition.  They  were  all  inveterate  snuff-takers ; 
they  bake  the  tobacco  leaf  perfectly  dry  and  mix  about  an  equal 
quantity  of  wood  ashes  with  it;  having  ground  this  to  a  fine 
powder,  they  carry  it  in  cloth  pouches,  and  when  a  pinch  is  re- 
quired, a  thimbleful  or  so  is  emptied  in  the  palm  of  their  left  hand 
and  stirred  with  the  blade  of  a  long  knife  to  insure  its  being  of 
the  requisite  fineness.  The  needful  amount  is  then  conveyed  on 
the  blade  of  the  knife  to 
the  nose,  but  so  clumsily 
that  mouth,  chin,  cheek, 
and  nose  are  all  smeared 
with  the  brown  powder, 
which  they  do  not  attempt 
to  brush  away ;  in  fact  it 
seems  "good  form''  in  that 
land  to  possess  such  facial 
adornments. 

This  snuff  must  be  rather 
powerful,  judging  from 
the  prodigious  sneezes  it 
causes,  and  the  watery, 
blood-shot  eyes  of  those 
addicted  to  its  use. 

At  one  village  they  both- 
ered me  a  great  deal   for 

snuff,  and  would  not  be  persuaded  that  I  had  none  concealed  in 
my  trunk;  one  native  was  so  persistent  in  his  demands  that  I  ven- 
tured to  substitute  a  liberal  ])inch  of  white  pepper,  which  he  ac- 
cepted, and  the  virtues  of  which  lie  straightway  retired  to  test ;  the 
next  morning,  as  our  caravan  filed  out  of  the  village,  he  who  had 
tested  my  "mixture,"  watched  our  departure  with  blood-shot  eyes ; 
and  his  general  ai)pcarance  of  bewildered  exhaustion  showed 
plainer  than  words  could  tell  how  deeply  he  must  have  regretted 
his  persistency. 

Savage    peculiarities,  both    unique    and    barbarous,    were  con- 


BA-CONGO  GIRL. 


32  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

stantly  confronting  us  as  we  continued  the  march  to  the  interior. 
To  men  newly  arrived  from  civilization,  the  village  hurial-place 
presented  a  curious  aspect,  for  the  final  resting-pace  of  a  lower 
Congo  chieftain  is  marked  by  a  grotesque  display ;  all  the  crockery 
which  the  deceased  had  collected  during  bis  life  is  strewn  in  an 
oblong  pattern  on  the  grave,  and  walled  in  by  a  suggestive  little 
margin  of  empty  gin  bottles ;  each  article  is  broken  in  some  way 
so  that  there  is  no  inducement  for  any  one  to  despoil  the  sacred 
memorial. 

In  this  land  tribal  law  condemns  a  thief  to  death,  and  during 
our  march  inland  we  saw  several  whitening  skeletons  of  culprits 
who  had  been  killed,  and  their  bodies  lashed  to  the  tops  of  tall 
poles,  erected  in  conspicuous  places  along  the  trail  as  a  warning 
to  others.  These  people  are  also  very  strict  with  regard  to  the 
conduct  to  be  pursued  in  a  public  market-place.  Any  one  wound- 
ing his  fellow  with  knife  or  gun  is  killed  and  buried  on  the  spot^ 
and  into  the  mound  raised  over  his  grave  an  old  musket  is  driven 
with  only  the  stock  showing  above  the  surface,  as  a  sign  to  all 
men  of  the  deceased's  offense. 

Our  journey  led  through  long  stretches  of  stifling  valleys, 
plunged  us  into  the  heart  of  the  tropical  jungle  and  spongy 
quagmire,  and  took  us  over  deep,  swift  streams,  which  had  to  be 
crossed  in  rickety  canoes. 

We  were  never  long  without  sight  of  human  dwellings;  and 
would  every  few  miles  discover  a  small  village  nestling  in  its 
plantations  of  banana  and  palm  trees. 

When  after  eight  days'  traveling,  I  arrived  at  Leopoldville,  and 
reported  myself  to  my  commander,  Stanley,  whom  I  found  stroll- 
ing up  and  down  under  the  grass  thatched  veranda  of  his  clay 
house,  I  felt  that  I  had  now  fairly  launched  on  what  I  hoped  might 
prove  a  successful  career  on  the  dark  waters  of  the  Congo  and  its 
tributaries,  and  amid  the  strange  scenes  of  Central  African  life. 

Stanley  shook  hands  cordially  with  me,  and  during  the  few 
minutes  I  was  in  his  presence  I  was  impressed  with  his  earnest 
manner  and  with  the  power  which  every  word  he  said  seemed  to 
carry  with  it.     1  felt,  from  t!ie  lirst  moment  I  saw  him,  such  confi- 


LEOPOLDVILLE. 


33 


dence  in  his  judgment  that  I  never  should  have  criticised 
anything  he  did.  I  experienced  then  an  emotion  which  subse- 
quent acquanitance  has  only  intensified,  which  would  lead  me 
now,  as  then,  to  follow  wherever  he  led.  Even  in  so  short  an 
interview  I  recognized  his  masterly  character.  He  told  me  to 
appear  next  morning  at  parade,  and  receive  my  instructions. 

During  my  stay  here  I  was  sometimes  employed  writing  or 
drawing  for  Stanley ;  at  other  times  I  would  have  charge  of  a 
gang  of  blacks  employed 
in  some  station  work. 
Leopoldville,  just  below 
Stanley  Pool  on  the 
Upper  Congo,  was  the 
principal  depot  of  the 
"African  International 
Association;"  for  here 
Stanley  had  made  his 
headquarters,  and  was 
living  in  a  one-story 
grass-roofed  clay  house, 
built  on  a  terrace  cut 
and  leveled  in  the  hill- 
side. In  a  line  with  his 
own  house  were  the 
large,  rough,  but  strong 
clay-walled  magazines  for  stores;  and  on  another  small 
terrace,  a  little  higher  up  the  hill,  were  the  white  officers'  quar- 
ters. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill,  to  the  right,  were  rows  of  grass  huts 
forming  the  encampment  of  the  black  employees ;  and  on  the  left 
were  the  station  gardens  and  plantations,  wdiile  running  from  the 
terrace  to  the  water's  edge,  a  well-kept  grove  of  broad-leafed 
banana  trees  afforded  in  the  heat  of  the  day  a  cool  and  friendly 
shelter  from  the  withering  rays  of  the  tropical  sun. 

Down  by  the  water's  edge  were  workshops,  in  which  the  ring- 
ing of  the  blacksmith's  anvil  and  blowing  of  the  wheezv  bellows 


A  NATIVE  HOUSE. 


34  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

mingled  with  the  mournful  but  melodious  singing  of  the  gangs  of 
Zanzibaris. 

The  little  fleet  of  boats  at  that  time  consisted  of  the  "  En  Avant," 
"Koyal,"  and  "A.  I.  A.,"  the  first  a  small  paddle-steamer,  the 
two  latter  propeller  boats  all  light  draught  and  under  forty  feet 
long.  One  of  these  was  hauled  high  and  dry  on  the  beach,  and  a 
busy  crowd  surrounded  it  engaged  in  painting  and  repairing  the 
hull,  while  the  others,  moored  alongside  of  two  small  steel  lighters, 
lazily  rocked  on  the  river. 

A  walk  over  the  rocks  just  below  the  station  amply  repaid  the 
rough  traveling  and  afforded  a  fine  view  of  the  rapids,  as  the  Con- 
go, here  again  hemmed  in  by  a  narrow  gorge  between  mountain- 
ous banks,  races  along  with  a  terrific  current,  flinging  itself  madly 
against  the  huge  bowlders  which  rise  abruptly  in  its  path  and 
throwing  great  clouds  of  spray  a  hundred  feet  into  the  air.  The 
rocky  bed  of  this  part  of  the  river  splits  up  this  swift  torrent  into 
a  wild  confusion  of  waters,  whose  incessant  roar  can  be  heard  for 
miles.  From  the  brow  of  the  hill  upon  which  Leopoldville  Station 
is  built,  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Stanley  Pool  offered  a  picture  in  ut- 
ter contrast  to  the  one  just  described ;  we  saw  laid  out  before  us  a 
vast  lake-like  expanse  of  water  dotted  with  numerous  wooded  is- 
lands and  grass-covered  sand-banks,  the  whole,  walled  in  and  en- 
circled by  hills,  resembling  the  crater  of  a  huge  volcano. 

When  I   had   been    here    about    a   month,    Stanley  sent   word 

for  me  to  call  at  his  house.     He  then  told  me  that  within  a  few 

days  he  intended  starting  on  a  few  months'  trip  on  the  upper  river, 

and  was  contemplating  the  construction  of  a  few  new  stations, 

conveying  at  the  same  time  the  joyful  news  that  he  intended  to 

appoint  me  to  the  command  of  one  of  them.     "  I  will  give  you  the 

choice  of  two  stations,"  said  he.     "One  has  been  occupied  by  a 

European  officer.     There  are  comfortable  houses  already   built, 

there  is  a  fine  flock  of  goats,  plenty  of  fowls,  well-stocked  gardens, 

and  the  natives  of  the  surrounding  villlages  are  good-natured  and 

peaceful.     Now  the  other  situation  is  entirely  different.     No  white 

man  has  ever  lived  there  before ;  in  fact  the  place  I  wish  to  occupy 

is  a  dense  forest   as  yet  untouched  by  human  hand;  it  is  about 


MY  APPOINTMENT.  35 

three  hundred  miles  from  Stanley  Pool  in  the  district  of  Lukolela. 
It  will  require  a  lot  of  hard  work  to  make  a  settlement  there,  as 
Aou  will  have  to  commence  right  at  the  beginning.  Now,  Glave," 
said  Stanley,  "make  your  choice." 

I  had  no  intention  of  accepting  the  comfort  resulting  from 
another's  toil.  I  had  spirit  enough  to  wish  to  raise  my  own  goats 
and  fowls,  to  build  my  own  house.  So  I  answered  without  hesita- 
tion. "I  prefer  the  latter,  sir."  "All  right,  you  are  appointed  chief 
of  Lukolela,"  answered  Stanley.  I  felt  proud  of  being  se- 
lected as  one  of  his  pioneer  officers,  and  was  perfectly  satisfied 
with  the  progress  I  had  made  during  my  short  term  in  Africa. 
Unfortunately  I  was  continually  suffering  from  slight  attacks  of 
African  fever.  I  was,  indeed,  "becoming  cadaverous,"  as  Mr. 
Stanley  remarked  in  "The  Congo  and  the  Founding  of  its  Free 
State,"  but  I  was  simply  running  the  gauntlet  through  the  climatic 
influences  as  all  new-comers  to  tropical  and  malarial  countries 
must  expect  to  do,  feeling  all  the  time  that  my  enfeebled  and 
debilitated  condition  was  only  a  temporary  one,  which  in  a 
few  months  I  should  overcome,  and  step  out  of  the  ranks  of 
the  inexperienced  and  be  classed  amongst  the  able  and  acclima- 
tized. 

The  22d  of  August,  '83  was  marked  by  a  morning  of  great  ex- 
<!itement.  Stanley  was  leaving  that  day  for  a  long  and  perilous 
voyage  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Congo.  He  had  not  visited  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  Congo  since  '77,  when  the  cannibal  tribes  of 
the  Aruimi  and  Bangala  put  off  their  monster  war  canoes  and  an- 
swered his  words  of  peace  by  flights  of  poisoned  arrows  and  jeer- 
ing speeches.  "  Niama  I  Niama !"  (Meat  I  Meat !),  was  the  hideously 
significant  cry  which  the  man-eating  savages  yelled  to  one 
another  when  they  saw  the  little  flotilla  of  men  who  had  marched 
from  Zanzibar  on  the  Indian  Ocean,  circumnavigated  the  great 
central  lakes  Tanganika  and  Nyanza,  and  were  now  only  too  anx- 
ious to  be  allowed  to  continue  their  passage  in  peace  to  the  Atlan- 
tic Ocean.  Many  a  hungry  day  and  many  a  stubborn  fight  had 
thinned  the  rolls  of  Stanley's  expedition;  all  were  gaunt  and 
feeble,  but  with  absolute  faith  in   their  leader  they  remained  un- 


36 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


conquered,  and  the  cannibal  hordes  quailed  and  fled  before  the 
plucky  little  band  whose  deeds  of  devotion  and  pluck  are  immor- 
talized by  Stanley's  graphic  pen  in  "  Through  the  Dark  Continent,'* 
Stanley  was  about  to  revisit  those  very  same  savages  who  had  in 
'77  so  persistently  attacked  him.  He  was  going  to  risk  his  life 
again  in  the  attempt  to  make  friends  with  them. 

The  little  steamers,  the  "A.  I.  A."  and  "Royal,"  had  started  a  day 
or  two  before,  I  was  to  travel  in  the  "  En  Avant, "  As  we  steamed 
away  from  the  picturesque  bay,  Stanley  in  his  tiny  boat  was 
cheered  by  the  whole  garrison,  both  white  and  black,  who  turned 
out  and  lined  the  beach  to  bid  us  good-by. 


A  CHIEF'S  GEAVE. 


:VORY   WAR   HORN   AND  OTHlCll  MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    COMMAND    OF    LUKOLELA. 

With  Stanley  o:i  the  "En  Avant"— Steaaiing  ur  Riter— Stories  around  the  Camp  fire— 
The  fight  at  Bolobo— Declaration  ok  peace— Arrival  at  Lukolela— Curious 
superstitions— Blood  bkotiiekhood— .Vt.oNi:  at  Lukolela— Learning  the  native 
tongue— Ghastly  signs  at  Mbunga— IIippopota.mus  hunt. 


Even  in  my  wildest  dreams — and  at  times  they  were  wild,  in- 
deed—I had  never  imagined  that  I  should  make  a  voyage  un- 
der such  favorable  auspices.  I  fully  realized  and  appreciated  the 
honor  of  making  a  journey  on  the  waters  of  the  mighty  Congo 
in  the  little  "En  Avant"  with  the  greatest  explorer  of  the  age, 
whose  determined  pluck  and  indomitable  resolution  enabled  him 
to  give  to  the  world  a  map  of  Central  Africa,  with  the  course  of 
one  of  the  three  largest  rivers  of  the  world  marked  from  source  to 
mouth — a  map  on  which  the  shores  of  the  great  lakes,  Tanganyika 
and  iSTyanza,  were  clearly  defined,  a  map  where  personal  knowl- 
edge and  experience  took  the  place  of  hypothesis  and  mere  con- 
jecture. 

Four  days'  steaming  brought  us  to  Kwamonth,  at  which  place 
the  officer  in  charge  of  the  station  had  but  recently  met  a  sad  end. 
He,  together  with  a  French  priest  and  several  blacks,  was  drowned, 
their  canoes  being  overturned  and  swamped,  whilst  in  midstream, 


38  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA.     ' 

by  a  raging  tornado;  unfortunately  the  white  men  did  not 
heed  the  kindly  warnings  of  the  natives,  who  begged  them  not  to 
launch  their  craft,  as  the  signs  in  the  heavens  foretold,  to  their  ex- 
perienced eyes,  that  a  fierce  storm  was  nigh.  This  officer  had  evi- 
dently been  greatly  beloved  by  the  villagers,  as  they  evinced 
most  earnest  sympathy  at  the  untimely  death  of  "  Nsusu  Mpenibe" 
(White  Chicken)  the  nickname  they  had  given  him. 

After  leaving  Kwamonth  the  Congo  broadens  out  to  a  width  of 
several  miles,  and  its  course  becomes  more  and  more  broken  up 
by  forest-clad  islands  and  sand-banks. 

In  these  far  away  lands  there  is  no  coal,  the  steamers  all  burn 
wood,  and  in  the  evening  when  we  put  in  shore  for  the  night  to 
cut  and  split  up  fuel  for  the  next  day's  steaming,  Stanley  would 
often  narrate  some  of  the  stirring  events  which  occurred  during 
his  memorable  expedition  to  relieve  Dr.  Livingstone,  or  his  still 
more  thrilling  voyage  through  the  Dark  Continent.  I  had  read 
his  books  in  old  England,  and  his  vivid  narratives  had  carried  me 
into  the  midst  of  savage  African  life ;  but  now  how  much  more  was 
I  affected  as  I  listened  to  the  graphic  words  of  the  author,  and  heard 
of  the  marvelous  adventures  from  his  own  lips,  in  the  land  where 
the  brave  deeds  were  done.  The  hum  of  the  myriads  of  insects, 
the  growl  of  the  distant  thunder,  the  blows  of  the  Zanzibari  wood 
cutters,  and  the  doleful  Ki-Swahili  chants  of  the  crew,  combined 
to  form  a  fitting  accompaniment,  and  the  blaze  of  the  burning 
logs  penciled  out  in  golden  outline  the  nearer  foliage  against  the 
darkened  gloom  of  the  tropical  jungle.  I  remember  one  particular 
occasion,  when  the  rising  moon  threw  long,  silver  ripples  across 
the  purple  waters  of  the  Congo,  and  the  soft  evening  airs  fanned 
into  flame  the  smoldering  patches  of  grass  on  the  surrounding 
hills,  and  cast  in  fantastic  relief  the  weird  shapes  of  the  rocky  up- 
lands and  the  wondrous  variety  of  the  tropical  vegetation,  Stan- 
ley, dressed  in  his  campaigning  costume  of  brown  jacket  and 
knickerbockers,  with  his  broad-crowned  peak  cap  pushed  off  his 
forehead,  seated  on  a  log,  smoking  his  brier  pipe  by  the  camp-fire, 
whose  ruddy  glow  fell  on  his  sunburnt  features  and  lighted  up  the 
characteristic   lines   of  that  manly  face,  his  eyes  fired  with  the 


STANLEY'S  CAMP-FIRE  STORIES.  39 

remiiiisceuces  of  the  glorious  past,  held  me  spell-bound  as  I 
listened  to  his  thrilling  narrative  of  the  attack  in  '77  on  his 
enfeebled  but  ever  ready  little  band,  by  those  barbarous  cannibals, 
the  Bangala.  How  this  veritable  armada  of  war-canoes  bore 
down  upon  his  small  fleet;  how  he  ran  the  gauntlet  of  these 
intrepid  warriors,  thinning  their  ranks  with  a  deadly  hail  from  his 
rifles  as  he  passed  to  the  safe  regions  beyond  through  an  atmos- 
phere darkened  by  the  flight  of  arrows  and  gleaming  spears 
hurled  by  the  man-eating  hordes,  whose  significant  war-cry  of 
"Niama!  Niamal"  (Meat!  Meat  I)  warned  their  enemies  of  the 
fate  in  store  for  prisoners. 

Stanley  was  always  busy  v/hether  ashore  or  afloat.  The  top  of 
his  little  cabin  in  the  after-part  of  the  "En  Avant"  formed  his 
table,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  interesting  material  which  he  embod- 
ied in  his  book,  "The  Congo  and  the  Founding  of  its  Free  State," 
was  penned  there.  His  truthful  pictures  of  African  scenes  so 
graphically  depicted  in  his  writings  have  been  drawn  direct 
from  nature,  and  often  under  severe  trials,  either  surrounded 
by  jabbering  natives  or  attacked  by  the  fierce  savages  of  the  far 
interior,  or  pestered  by  insects  and  mosquitoes  or  still  worse 
than  all,  laid  low  by  deadly  fever.  Stanley  had  very  tiny  quar- 
ters on  the  boat,  and  his  cabin  was  so  full,  with  bales  of  cloth, 
scientific  instruments,  paper,  arms,  ammunition  and  the  hundred 
and  one  things  necessary  for  African  exploration,  that  there  was 
only  just  room  to  admit  of  his  crawling  into  his  bunk  amidst 
this  assorted  cargo. 

Occasionally  as  we  steamed  along  up  stream  he  would  leave  off 
writing,  put  down  his  pencil,  and  take  a  careful  survey  of  the  sur- 
roundings ;  sometimes  an  old  crocodile  disturbed  by  the  paddle- 
wheels  from  his  slumbers  on  a  sand-bank,  would  close  his  bony 
jaws  with  a  harsh  snap,  and  clumsily  but  rai)idly  wriggle  down 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  often  would  swim  toward  us  so  as  to  get 
a  closer  view  of  the  strange  intruders,  and  if  he  presented  an  in- 
viting shot  Stanley  always  took  advantage  with  the  invariable 
result  that  there  was  one  crocodile  less  in  the  dark  waters  of  the 
Congo. 


40 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


Occasionally  an  old  hippopotamus  threatening  us  with 
his  glistening  tusks  would  receive    deadly  reprimand 
from  the  barrel  of  a  rifle. 

We  steamed  slowly  up  stream,  landing  here  and 
there  to  cut  dry  w^ood   for  fuel,  or  obtain  pro- 
visions   from    the    native  villages   which   we 
sighted   on  the  river-banks.     Our  reception 
by   the   natives  was  generally  friendly; 
but   the   large,    thickly   populated   vil- 
lages of  Bolobo  evinced  a  keen  desire 
for   war,  and   demonstrated  their 
aggressiveness    by    firing    their 
old  flint-lock  guns  at  our  little 
fleet   as    it    passed;    as  we 
were     steering     close    in 
shore  to  avoid  the  rapid 
current     of     mid 
stream,  the    dusky 
warriors,    safely 
hidden   in   the 
forests  1 i  n 
i  n  g     the 
river- 


m 


SPEARS, 

SHIEI.n, 

AND  ARROWS. 

TIPPER    CONGO. 


banks, 
peppered 
us  at   most 
unpleasantly 
close  quarters 
with  a  shower  o  f 
stone  and  metal  bul- 
lets  with  which   they 
charged  their  guns,  and 
our    safetv     and     comfort 
were    seriously     jeopardized 
by  a   flight  of  spears.     Stanley 
had    previously   made    a   station 
here,    and   a   white     oflicer   was  at 
present  in  charge  of  it.     The  history 
p      of  this  post  had  been  an  unhappy  one. 
Only  recently    all    the  station-houses  had 
*«s    been  burned  to  the  ground,  and  a  great  quan- 


A  HIPPOPOTAMUS  ATTACKS  THE  "A.  /.  A.'  41 

tity  of  stores  and  other  valuable  property  destroyed.     The  relations 
between  the  villages  and  station  became  very  much  strained,  and 
it  was  only  after  two   weeks  that   Stanley's  characteristic  tact 
triumphed  over  the  suspicions  of  these   natives,  and  convinced 
them  of  our  friendly  intentions,  and  also   succeeded  in  making 
them  pay   an   indemnity  for  their  unprovoked   attack.     During 
our  stay  at  this   place  both  our  expedition  and  the  dusky  war- 
riors of  the  surrounding  settlements   were  fully  armed  and  on 
guard,   but  no   serious  battle   took  place;    occasionally  the  op- 
posing outposts  would  exchange  a  few  shots  but  the  number  of 
casualties  was  not   serious.      When   peace  was  at  last  declared 
Stanley  invited  Ibaka  and  the  other  influential  chiefs  of  Bolobo 
to  a  meeting,  and  the  natives  promised  in  future  to  maintain  peace 
with  the  white  men ;  presents  were  exchanged — we  received  goats, 
hairless  sheep,  fowls,  bananas,  and  pineapples,  and   old   Ibaka, 
Lengenge,  and  Ngoi  carried   back  to  their  wives  and  daughters 
brightly  colored  cotton  stuff,  beads,  mirrors,  and  brass  ornaments, 
which   would  make  these  dusky  dames  and  maidens  the  envy  of 
the  land. 

This  palaver  having  been  settled,  our  flotilla  again  started  up 
stream.  We  were,  however,  delayed  a  little  on  the  way,  in  order 
that  our  engineer  might  repair  the  damage  done  to  the  "  A.  I.  A. "  by 
an  old  hippopotamus,  who  evidently  looked  upon  the  little  steamer 
as  some  new  kind  of  enemy,  and  resented  its  presence  in  his 
watery  domain  by  fiercely  attacking  it ;  his  pugnacity  and  anger 
were  not  appeased  till  his  monster  tusks  had  ripped  four  large 
holes  in  the  iron  plate  of  the  boat's  hull;  fortunately  the  boat  was 
traveling  close  in  shore  at  the  time,  so  that  they  were  able  to  reach 
the  banks  in  safety,  though  she  was  rapidly  filling  with  water,  and 
in  a  few  more  minutes,  had  she  been  in  deep  water,  would  have 
sunk. 

When  journeying  up  stream  we  were  always  under  way  1)y  five 
in  the  morning.  As  soon  as  steam  was  up  Stanley  would  ring  his 
signal  bell,  and  his  voice  w^ould  be  heard  calling  in  tones  not  to  be 
disregarded,  "Haya  wangwana  ingieni  Mashuanil"  (All  aboard 
Zanzibaris!),  and  but  a  few  seconds  would  elapse  before   every 


42  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

member  of  the  darky  crew,  who  had  been  sleeping  snugly  curled 
ap  m  their  mats  by  the  camp-fire  but  just  before,  would  be  wide 
awake,  and  after  a  moment's  bustle,  stowed  away  in  place  aboard 
with  all  their  belongings,  sleeping  mats,  blankets,  cooking  tins, 
and  provisions,  the  anchor  would  be  weighed,  and  once  more  the 
little  "En  Avant,"  which  has  played  such  a  big  part  in  Central 
African  explorations  would  be  churning  up  the  brown  waters  of 
the  Congo. 

Stanley  stood  aft  and  directed  the  steering ;  we  were  generally 
under  steam  about  nine  hours  a  day,  as  we  could  not  carry  wood 
for  much  more  than  that  time. 

We  white  men  all  lived  alike,  baked  manioc  root  and  a  cup  of 
tea,  without  sugar  or  milk,  for  breakfast,  stewed  goat  or  fowl  and 
rice  for  lunch  and  dinner.  The  cooking  was  done  over  ashes  on  a 
slab  of  tin  by  the  furnace,  the  cramped  kitchen  arrangements  de- 
nied an  elaborate  menu  even  if  we  had  the  wherewith  to  provide 
it ;  to  conduct  even  the  culinary  operations  to  produce  our  plain 
fare  was  a  feat  of  endurance,  as  the  "  Mpichi ''  (cook)  was  subject  to 
as  much  heat  as  his  dish. 

Stanley  was  in  his  A^ounger  days  a  keen  sportsman,  and  is  still 
a  splendid  shot,  though  now  the  chase  has  but  little  fascination 
for  him.  I  was  speaking  to  him  one  day  about  hunting,  and  he 
remarked  that  when  he  was  younger  he  delighted  in  tackling  the 
rhinoceros,  buffalo,  and  rogue  elephant,  "but  now,"  he  said,  "I 
should  suggest  that  somebody  else  tried  his  hand ;  now  supposing 
there  was  at  the  present  time  an  elephant  near  by,  I  should  remain 
here  in  comfort  and  safety,  and  should  say,  'Glave,  there  is  an 
elephant;  Avhy  don't  you  take  your  rifle  and  go  and  shoot  him?'" 

Early  in  September,  '83,  the  blue  smoke  curling  up  over  the  tall 
tree-tops  announced  to  us  that  we  were  approaching  a  native  set- 
tlement ;  and  on  drawing  near,  we  could  every  now  and  then  catch 
glimpses  of  little  native  huts  nestling  in  the  verge  of  a  dense 
forest ;  dug-outs  were  hastily  launched  and  darted  backward  and 
forward  as  the  excited  occupants  viewed  our  unusual  approach, 
and  carried  to  their  friends  on  land  exaggerated  reports  of  the 
"buatu  meyar  "  (fire  canoe),  making  toward  the  village.    The  loud 


ARRIVAL  AT  LUKOLELA.  43 

boom  of  alarm  drums  sounded  everywhere  throughout  the  district 
warning  the  whole  nation  of  some  important  happening. 

We  w-ere  nearing  Lukolela,  and  in  this  neighborhood  the  new 
station  was  to  be  built.  When  we  steamed  slowly  to  the  landing- 
place  a  great  crowd  of  good-humored  savages  swarmed  down  to 
the  beach  to  greet  us ;  the  older  and  more  conservative,  however 
did  not  seem  to  share  in  the  pleasure  of  seeing  strangers ;  the  shrill 
whistle,  the  hissing  of  the  safety-valve,  and  sputter  of  the  paddle- 
wheel  formed  a  combination  too  uncanny  for  them  to  place  much 
trust  in  without  a  little  investigation.  They  preferred  to  have  a- 
preliminary  view  of  the  strange  arrivals  at  a  safe  distance,  so  that 
in  case  of  any  serious  developments  they  could  more  speedily  re- 
treat. However,  these  simple-minded  folks  are  easily  convinced 
—their  opinions,  fears,  likes,  and  dislikes  have  but  shallow  forma- 
tion, and  the  gift  of  a  penny  tin  fork  or  a  handful  of  beads  will 
remove  any  or  all  of  their  false  impressions.  As  soon  as  Stanley 
landed  a  slave  was  sent  through  the  village  to  beat  the  old  cliief's 
iron  gong,  and  summon  all  the  head  men  to  a  palaver.  These 
people  were  to  a  certain  extent  prepared  for  our  coming.  News 
had  been  brought  by  a  native  trading  canoe  from  down  stream 
that  Stanley  was  coming  in  his  "buatu  meyar"  and  that  he 
intended  leaving  a  white  officer  in  their  country  to  build  a  house 
and  live  with  them,  but  the  medicine  man  of  this  village  had 
warned  the  people  of  Lukolela  that  the  being  whom  Stanley  was 
bringing  Avas  a  hideous  form  of  life,  that  he  was  half  a  lion  and 
half  a  buffalo,  and  moreover  was  possessed  of  the  blood-thirsty 
habit  of  slaughtering  and  devouring  human  beings, 

A  council  of  the  head  men  of  the  settlement  approached  Stanley, 
and  very  seriously  inquired  if  it  was  true  that  he  had  such  a 
creature  on  board.  I,  to  whom  all  these  grim  impressions  referred, 
had  not  left  the  boat,  as  I  was  suffering  from  an  acute  fever — I 
was  feeble,  hollow-eyed,  and  gaunt,  AVhen  I  showed  myself  the 
whole  crowd  broke  out  into  roars  of  good-humored  laughter,  as 
they  realized  that  their  imaginary  picture  of  the  giant  monster, 
armed  with  sharpened  claws  and  lion's  mane,  bore  no  striking  re- 
semblance to  me,  the  emaciated  and  cadaverous  original. 


44 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


They  were  soon  convinced  that  I  was  an  ordinary,  harmless 
human  being,  and  after  a  long  discussion,  the  bargain  was  con- 
cluded for  the  land  upon  which  our  garrison  was  to  be  built. 

The  people  of  Lukolela  had  not  forgotten  the  white  man  who 
floated  past  their  village  in  '77  with  several  large  canoes,  and  a 
strange  craft  in  which  the  crew  used  long  paddles  and  sat  facing 
the    steersman.   (Stanley's    row-boat,    the    "Lady    Alice,"    which 

played  such  a  part  in 
'•  Through  ihe  Dark 
Continent.") 

These  natives,  having 
no  written  language, 
have  retained  in  their 
memories  the  most  im- 
portant events  wdiich 
have  occurred ;  these 
being  constantly  men- 
tioned become  epochs  of 
tribal  history,  and  are 
handed  down  from  gen- 
eration to  generation. 

"Arlekaki  Ten  dele 
mboka  bisu  kala  kala," 
which  means,  "  When 
Stanley  passed  our  vil- 
lage a  long  time  ago,"  is 
one  of  their  principal  marks  of  time,  and  is  constantly  mentioned. 
These  Central  Africans  are  great  talkers,  and  in  all  their  speeches 
they  commence  by  referring  to  incidents  which  happened  as 
far  back  as  they  can  remember,  and  they  tell  of  all  they  know, 
no  matter  whether  it  refers  to  the  subject  or  not.  For  instance, 
a  native  accused  by  another  of  having  stolen  a  fowl, will  begin 
"Arlekaki  Tendele  mboka  bisu  kala  kala."  ("When  Stanley 
passed  our  village  a  long  time  ago"),  and  then  he  will  recount 
the  chief  incidents  of  his  life  from  that  time  onward,  and  will 
provide   a  most   picturesque    recital  of    his    own  good   deeds   in 


A   LUKOLKLA  GIRL. 


ESTABLISHING  THE  STATION.  45 

peace  and  war.  How  he  had  fought  in  the  van  of  every  tribal 
battle  and  returned  from  the  fray  victorious;  how  when  the 
river  was  overflowing  and  fish  were  difficult  to  catch,  the  whole 
settlement  would  have  starved  had  it  not  been  for  his  cunningly 
handled  nets;  how  he  remained  sober  when  the  remainder  of 
the  village  were  regaling  on  malafu  (palm  wine),  and  after  giv- 
ing a  most  glowing  account  of  all  his  admirable  characteristics  he 
will  demand  in  injured  tones,  "Am  I  the  man  to  steal  a  fowl?" 

After  a  night's  rest  we  set  out  again  to  take  formal  possession 
of  the  ground.  The  site  fixed  on  was  a  mile  or  so  from  the  village 
at  which  we  first  touched.  Everything  was  now  settled  in  an  or- 
derly fashion,  the  lay  of  the  land  ascertained,  and  the  boundaries 
of  my  territories  delined  by  their  proximity  to  certain  small  brooks 
which  were  well-known  local  landmarks. 

Stanley  then  roughly  drafted  a  treaty  between  the  chiefs  of 
Lukolela  and  himself,  which  stated  that,  in  consideration  of  cloth, 
brass  wire,  beads,  and  metal  ornaments  received,  the  assembled 
chiefs  gave  us  full  rights  to  a  territory,  the  boundaries  of  which 
had  been  definitely  fixed.  The  contents  of  this  paper  were  clearly 
interpreted  and  agreed  ui:)on. 

When  all  had  been  satisfactorily  arranged,  luka  and  Mungaba, 
the  principal  chiefs  of  the  district,  and  the  other  head  men,  re- 
ceived in  payment  for  the  land,  brass  wire,  Manchester  cloth, 
beads,  anklets,  knives,  forks,  spoons,  mirrors,  bells,  and  other 
trinkets ;  and  while  the  natives  returned  to  their  village  to  excite 
the  envy  of  the  less  fortunate  with  their  newly  acquired  wealth, 
and  to  show  to  their  friends  the  brilliant  cloths  and  bright  metal- 
work  of  Tendele  (their  pronunciation  of  Stanley),  I  set  seriously 
to  work  to  make  a  clearing  for  the  site  of  the  new  station — Stan- 
ley placing  at  my  disj^osal  to  assist  me  the  crews  of  the  three 
steamers.  There  was  much  rough  undergrowtli  to  be  cleared 
away,  and  a  few  giant  trees  to  be  felled  before  a  place  could  be 
made  on  which  to  erect  the  three  native  huts  we  had  purchased 
and  brought  along  with  us  from  old  luka's  settlement  near  by.  In- 
deed, when  the  morning  arrived  on  which  the  boats  were  to  pro- 
ceed on  their  journey  and  leave  me  to  enjoy  in  solitude  all  the 


46  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

pleasures  of  my  new  estate,  little  more  had  been  efiEected  than  the 
erection  of  the  huts  and  the  clearing  of  a  small  path  leading  down 
to  the  river.  Human  voices  seemed  out  of  place  in  this  dense 
jungle ;  the  trumpeting  of  elephants  and  the  yawn  of  the  wily 
leopard  were  far  more  familiar  sounds. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  September,  Stanley  with  his  three 
boats  moved  slowly  up  stream,  and  I  was  left  as  chief  of  Lukolela 
with  fifteen  black  soldiers  but  no  other  white  man.  I  followed 
their  course  with  straining  eyes,  and  did  not  leave  the  beach  until 
a  turn  in  the  river  hid  the  flotilla  from  my  sight.  For  the  first 
time  a  feeling  of  momentary  sadness  and  depression  came  over  me 
as,  returning  to  my  hut,  I  realized  my  complete  isolation.  Where 
now  was  the  little  band  of  comrades  who  only  a  few  weeks  ago 
had  joined  their  fortunes  with  mine?  One  by  one  my  companions 
had  dropped  away  from  me,  and  in  place  of  their  familiar  faces  I 
saw  only  the  wild  countenances  of  strange  people  who  spoke  a 
tongue  the  simplest  words  of  which  Avere  unintelligible  to  me. 

With  every  mile  I  had  penetrated  into  tiie  interior  I  had  left  be- 
hind something  that  bound  me  to  home,  and  now  the  last  glimpse 
I  caught  of  the  departing  boats  meant  that  I  was  separated  from 
all  that  could  remind  me  of  home  and  friends  for  many  months  to 
come.  Central  Africa  is  an  out-of-the-way  place  indeed;  wars 
may  be  waged  in  America,  Europe,  and  Asia,  cities  may  be  burnt 
to  the  ground,  famine  and  pestilence  sw^eep  from  one  end  of  the 
earth  to  the  other,  but  months  and  months  must  elapse  before  the 
white  man  on  the  Upper  Congo  receives  any  news.  There  is  no 
cable  to  flash  a  message  to  those  wild  regions,  and  the  postal  ser- 
vice is  erratic  and  slow. 

Stanley,  with  his  never-failing  foresight,  had  anticipated  most  of 
the  difficulties  I  should  have  to  contend  with  in  forming  my  settle- 
ment, and  had  done  everything  in  his  power  to  make  my  path  as 
smooth  as  possible,  leaving  me  full  instructions  as  to  the  conduct 
of  the  work.  He  had  also  endeavored  to  establish  me  in  the  good- 
will of  the  natives,  by  arranging  that  Mungaba,  one  of  the  most 
powerful  chiefs  in  the  district,  should  become  my  blood-brother. 
This  custom  of  blood-brotherhood   prevails   throughout  Central 


CEREMONY  OF  BLOOD-EROTHERHOOD.  47 

Africa,  and  its  observance  is  the  surest  way  of  gaining  the  con- 
fidence of  the  native  chiefs.  It  has  with  them  a  religious  signifi- 
cance. Those  natives  who  have  entered  into  relations  prescribed 
by  this  rite  invariably  respect  them,  and  both  Livingstone  and 
Stanley  have  often  owed  their  safety  to  the  sacredness  of  the 
pledges  given  by  chiefs  whose  favor  and  protection  they  gained  in 
this  manner.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  Stanley's  presence. 
Mungaba  and  I  took  our  places  side  by  side.  Our  left  arms  being 
bared,  a  small  incision  was  made  with  a  native  razor  in  Mungaba's 
arm,  just  below  the  elbow  by  one  of  my  men  .  Then  one  of  the 
natives  performed  a  similar  operation  on  me,  and  held  my  arm,  so 
that  the  blood  which  flowed  from  the  wound  might  mingle  with 
that  of  Mungaba's.  While  they  rubbed  our  punctured  arms  to- 
gether they  declared  that  Mungaba  and  myself  were  noAv  of  one 
blood,  and  enumerated  the  different  duties  which  the  one  owed 
to  the  other.  If  one  was  sick,  the  other  had  to  attend  to  him :  if 
the  one  was  at  war,  his  blood-brother  must  help  him ;  if  one  liad 
cloth  and  trinkets,  the  other,  if  in  want,  was  entitled  to  share ;  and 
Mungaba's  relations  were  now  declared  to  be  my  relations. 

The  circle  of  natives  who  attended  the  ceremony  repeated  in  a 
chanting  chorus  the  words  used  by  the  wielders  of  the  razor,  and 
declared  themselves,  as  witnesses  of  tiie  solemn  compact,  bound  to 
respect  the  wishes  of  their  chief  that  I  and  my  retainers  should  be 
forever  unmolested  by  them,  and  that  there  should  be  unbroken 
peace  between  the  settlement  and  their  villages.  The  majority  of 
these  people  had  never  seen  a  white  man,  and  I  became  an  object 
of  attraction  to  crowds  of  astonished  natives.  They  came  from 
miles  in  the  interior  to  see  the  white  novelty  on  view.  The  old 
women  seemed  to  be  more  affected  than  any  by  their  first  look  at 
the  new-comer.  What  they  had  expected  to  see  I  cannot  say; 
but  they  would  approach  stealthily  and  peeping  into  the  hut,  would 
announce  their  first  shock  at  seeing  me  by  hysterical  screams 
which  I  heard  die  away  in  the  distance,  as  they  bolted  off  to  nar- 
rate to  their  friends  their  opinion  of  the  "mandele"  (white  man). 
Every  action  of  mine  was  strange  to  them  and  afforded  them  a 
great  deal  of  amusement. 


48  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

My  chief  effort  now  was  to  get  well  and  strong,  for  I  was  really 
in  a  bad  state,  the  fever  being  suceeded  by  a  severe  attack  of 
dysentery.  My  own  men,  I  knew,  among  themselves  doubted 
whether  I  would  recover,  for  they  perceived  that  the  departure  of 
the  boats  had  thrown  me  into  a  relapse,  that  the  excitement  of  the 
last  few  days,  acting  as  a  stimulant,  was  all  that  kept  me  on  my 
feet.  I  afterward  learned  that  Stanley  himself  feared  that  my 
constitution  might  prove  too  weak  to  stand  the  successive  atttacks 
of  weakening  sickness,  and  had  left  instructions  with  my  head 
man  how  to  act  in  event  of  my  death. 

For  fully  a  month  I  w^as  unable  to  do  more  than  superintend 
the  work  of  my  Zanzibaris  from  the  couch  on  which  I  lay  in  the 
shelter  of  my  hut ;  but  there  was  much  to  entertain  me,  while  lying 
sick,  in  the  conduct  of  my  neighbors.  I  never  shared  in  the  anx- 
iety I  saw  depicted  on  the  faces  of  my  followers.  Entirely  oc- 
cupied with  thoughts  of  my  new  enterprise  and  plans  for  future 
work,  I  had  little  time  to  dwell  on  my  present  condition,  and  I 
determined  within  myself  that  Providence  aiding  me,  the  flag 
should  not  soon  float  at  half-mast  over  the  new  station  of  Lukolela. 

With  returning  health  my  spirits  revived.  I  was  anxious  to 
leave  my  hut,  and  to  acquaint  myself  with  my  novel  surroundings. 

Although  I  had  not  yet  been  able  to  visit  any  of  the  villages  in 
the  district,  I  had  become  quite  familiar  with  the  names  of  most 
of  my  neighbors.  The  stream  of  inquiring  visitors  never  ceased, 
and  my  Zanzibar!  boy — the  most  attentive  of  servants — had  much 
trouble  in  preventing  them  from  disturbing  the  few  snatches  of 
sleep  I  obtained  in  intervals  of  fever.  At  first  I  was  unable  to 
distinguish  one  black  visitor  from  another ;  their  features  seemed 
cast  in  the  same  mold,  and  there  was  no  external  aid  to  identifica- 
tion. 

Each  face  was  disfigured  by  the  same  scars  cut  deep  in  the  flesh 
over  the  temples,  and  carried  in  three  lines  back  to  the  ears ;  this 
is  the  tribal  mark  of  the  Ba-Bangi,  who  inhabit  the  country  in 
which  I  was  then  living. 

The  idea  occurred  to  me  of  utilizing  my  new  friends  by  obtain- 
ing from  them,  word  by  word,  their  peculiar  dialect  to  enrich  my 


LEARNING  THE  LANGUAGE.  49 

vocabulary.  "When  the  natives  saw  that  I  was  anxious  to  learn 
their  language,  they  evidently  turned  over  in  their  minds  the  fact 
that  I  was  from  a  new  country,  and  would  have  some  strange 
tales  to  tell  when  I  was  able  to  make  myself  understood.  They, 
therefore,  took  the  greatest  interest  in  teaching  me  the  words  they 
thought  would  be  the  most  useful  to  me. 

One  man,  for  instance,  would  enter  the  hut,  raise  his  finger  up 
to  his  eye,  and  inquire  by  signs  whether  I  knew  the  native  name 
for  that  organ.  If  I  shook  my  head  to  signify  ignorance,  he 
would  pronounce  the  name  very  distinctly,  and  I  had  to  repeat  it 
over  and  over  again  until  my  pronunciation  satisfied  him.  He 
would  then  point  in  succession  to  his  nose,  ear,  mouth,  etc.,  and 
endeavor  by  constant  repetitions  to  impress  their  names  on  my 
memory.  When  the  lesson  was  concluded,  he  would  gravely  say, 
"Nake  mboka,"  which  is  synonymous  with  our  "Good-by  for  the 
present,"  and  depart  with  the  air  of  one  who  had  acquitted  him- 
self of  a  duty  he  owed  to  society,  only  to  reappear  on  the  following 
day  with  a  fresh  string  of  names  for  me  to  commit  to  memory. 
After  a  while,  my  friends  discovering  that  when  I  heard  a  new 
word  I  immediately  made  a  note  of  it,  the  more  intelligent  among 
them  would  come  into  my  room  when  they  had  any  information 
to  give,  pick  up  my  note-book,  and  handing  me  my  pencil,  insist 
on  my  writing  down  in  their  presence  all  they  told  me.  If  sus- 
picion was  aroused  that  I  was  trying  to  shirk  my  duty  in  this  mat- 
ter, they  would  request  me  to  read  aloud  the  different  words  with 
which  they  had  furnished  me.  Some  of  these  visits  were  made 
at  most  unseasonable  hours — I  was  often  unceremoniously  and  ab- 
ruptly shaken  out  of  a  sound  sleep  long  before  daybreak,  and  upon 
gathering  my  senses  and  opening  my  eyes,  I  would  find  a  big, 
black  woolly  head  bending  over  me  which  commenced  at  once  to 
impress  upon  my  bewildered  mind  the  fact  that  "ngoonge"  meant 
mosquito  in  their  language. 

My  health  being  thoroughly  restored,  I  did  not  confine  myself 
to  station  work,  but  frequently  made  excursions  into  the  neigh- 
boring districts,  learning  all  I  could  of  the  tribes  inhabiting 
them. 


50  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

Hearing  that  there  were  several  large  villages  on  the  opposite 
shore,  a-  little  lower  down-river,  I  decided  to  visit  and  make  friends 
with  the  people.     Mbunga  was  the  most  important  place,  so  I   de- 
cided to   visit   it.     I  equipped  my  large  canoe  with  twenty-five 
paddlers,  the  crew  being  composed  partly  of  my  own  men  and 
some  of  the  Lukolela  natives,  and  started  off  early  one  morning 
to  seek  out  Ndombe,  the  chief  of  Mbunga.  Our  course  lay  through 
numerous  small  channels  between  thickly  wooded  forest   islancis. 
and  at   times  over  extensive  shoals,  where  we  saw  several  herds 
of  hippopotami  huddled  together  in  the  shallow  water.     They  re- 
mained motionless,  like  smooth  black  rocks.  There  was  not  a  sign 
of  life  in  the  herd  as  we  approached  until  we  had  paddled  within 
fifty  yards  of  them,  then  all  was  tumult  and  confusion.     Suddenly 
startled  from  their  morning  sleep,  with  loud  snortings  they  plunged 
deep  into  the  river,  disappearing  entirely  from  sight,  and  leaving 
only   a  stretch   of  troubled   water  in   the  place   where  they   had 
herded.     Sometimes   we  would  see  a  number  of  these  unwieldy 
monsters  swimming  in  midstream,  their  bodies  submerged,  and 
only  their  great  heads  showing  above  the  surface.    We  would  then 
leave  the  river  in  their  possession  and  skirt  along  the  banks  so  as  to 
avoid  a  collision — in  which  the  canoe  would  have  fared  badl}".    As  I 
was  anxious  to  reach  Mbunga,  I  could  not  spare  time  for  shooting 
on  the  journey,  so  I  resolved  to  save  all  my  cartridges  for  the  hip- 
po's I  might  meet  on  the  return  journey  to  Lukolela. 

Making  all  haste,  I  managed  to  reach  Mbunga  before  nightfall. 
I  found  the  people  there  very  wild,  some  portions  of  them  even 
hostile,  and  I  only  succeeded  in  establishing  friendly  relations  by 
going  through  the  ceremony  of  blood-brotherhood  with  the  most 
important  chief  of  the  place,  Ndombe.  He  was  dressed  in  a  loin 
clotli  woven  from  the  fibers  of  the  pine-apple  leaves,  and  wore  a 
plaited  hat  of  the  same  material,  from  under  which  two  thick 
braids  of  hair  stuck  out,  and  curled  down  each  cheek ;  his  Avar 
charms  of  two  little  antelope  horns,  were  suspended  around  his 
neck  by  a  cord  ;  he  had  ruled  the  land  for  many  years  with  cruel 
sway,  condemning  to  death  all  who  opposed  him ;  his  body  and 
face  bore  ugly  scars,  recording  many  a  savage  fight  with  man  and 


VILLAGE  DECORATIOXS. 


51 


beast,  and  though  a  thorough  savage,  Ndombe  was  undoubtedly  a 
"vvarrior. 

My  first  view  of  tliis  village  impressed  me  with  a  sense  of  the 
characteristic  barbarism  with  which  native  rumor  credited  these 
people,  for  nearly  every  hut  was  decorated  with  the  whitening 
skull  of  some  slave  or  victim,  while  suspended  from  the  branch 
of  a  large  tree  iu  the 
center  of  the  village 
was  a  roughly  made 
basket  containing  the 
same  ghastly  tro- 
phies. 

The  natives  them- 
selves were  lazy  and 
filthy  in  their  habits; 
plantations  were  few ; 
and  although  exten- 
sive fishing-grounds 
were  situated  close  to 
their  villages,  but  lit- 
tle effort  was  made  to 
reap  any  benefit  from 
them.  The  natives 
had  a  besotted  look, 
and  during  my  few 
days'  stay  in  these 
villages  I  noticed  that,  though  little  food  was  eaten,  an  enormous 
quantity  of  fermented  sugar-cane  juice  was  consumed,  and  toward 
the  evening  of  each  day  the  villages  were  crowded  with  noisy  and 
intoxicated  savages,  who  when  they  are  under  such  an  influence  be- 
come at  once  insulting  and  pugnacious,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
Ndombe's  powerful  control,  there  would  have  been  serious  blood- 
shed, for  without  the  slightest  provocation  the  maddened  creatures 
drew  their  big  keen  blades  and  prepared  to  attack  my  party ;  our 
loaded  rifles  were  already  raised  to  the  shoulder  in  earnest,  when 
the  old  chief  rushed  in.  and  threatened  his  people  with  instant  death 


NDOMHK,   CHIKF   OF   MliUNGA. 


52  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

if  they  attempted  to  molest  us.  I  was  glad  of  his  timely  arrival, 
for  my  chances  would  have  been  slight  indeed  with  my  small  band 
against  the  two  thousand  savages  inhabiting  the  settlement 
of  Mbunga.  During  the  remainder  of  my  stay  here  all  my  men 
kept  armed  in  readiness,  and  half  of  them  were  on  guard  night 
and  day. 

Having  accomplished  my  mission  of  meeting  Ndombe,  and  be- 
coming  blood-brother  with  him,  also  of  learning  the  character  and 
power  of  his  tribe,  and  the  nature  of  the  land  they  inhabited,  I  de- 
cided to  return  to  Lukolela.     I  left  early  one  morning,  and  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the   village  I  came   upon  a  herd  of  hip- 
popotami.   One  of  them  offering  a  favorable  shot,  I  fired,  but  only 
succeeded  in  wounding  the  animal.     I  had  with  me  at  that  time  a 
Snider   rifle,  which  is  not  a  very  serviceable  weapon  in  the  hunt- 
ing-field, its  powers  of  penetration  being  insufliicient  for  big  game. 
The   sting  of  the   bullet  tended  only  to  infuriate   the  animal ;  he 
threw  himself  wildly  out   of  the  water,  and  plunged  about  in   all 
directions.     A  few  of  my  paddlers  kept  cool,  but  most  of  them, 
not  accustomed  to  this  kind  of  thing,  dropped  their  paddles   and 
clung  wildly  to  the  gunwale  of  the  canoe;  some  were  screaming, 
while  those  who  retained  their  paddles  endeavored   to  force  the 
canoe  in  the  direction  opposite  from  my  intended  destination.     All 
this  commotion  rendered  it  very   difficult  for  me  to  take  a   shot 
with  any  certainty  of  aim,  so  that,  although  I  kept  on  hitting  the 
brute,  I  could  not  succeed  in  reaching  a  vital  part,  and  each   suc- 
cessive bullet  that  struck  only  rendered  the  monster  more  furious. 
At  last  he  caught  sight  of  us,  and  seemed  all  at  once  to  realize  that 
we  were  his  enemies.     He  came  on,  plowing  his  way  through   the 
water,  and  struck  the  canoe  a  blow  which,  nearly   capsizing  it, 
threw  several  of  my  men  into  the  water.     Fortunately  he  did  not 
follow   them  up,   but   passing  under  the   canoe,    kept   plunging 
madly  on  for  a  short  distance.     In  the  mean  time  I  had  managed 
to  pick  up  the  men  from  the  water,  only  just  in  time,  however,  for 
he  returned  and  made  another  charge. 

As  he  passed  a  second  time  under  the  canoe,  my   hunter.  Bongo 
Nsanda,  dexterously  plunged  a  spear  into  him,  which  striking  in 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  HIPrOPOTAMUS. 


53 


the  side  seemed  to  cripple  him  greatly.  He  was  now  becoming 
exhausted,  and  his  movements  became  slower  and  slower.  Each 
time  he  rose  to  the  surface  he  presented  a  pitiable  sight  with  the 
blood  streaming  all  over  his  great  head  from  his  many  wounds.  I 
was  now  able  by  a  well-directed  shot  behind  the  ear,  to  end  the 
poor  brute's  sufferings,  and   after  a  few   spasmodic  struggles  he 


HE  8TRDCK  THE  CANOE    A    liLOW   WHICH  NEAKLY   CAFSIZED  IT, 


sank  from  sight,  leaving  the  water  all  around  us  discolored  with 
his  blood.  A  hippopotamus  when  killed  in  deep  water  invariably 
sinks;  the  body  does  not  rise  for  several  hours,  the  duration  of 
submersion  depending  on  the  temperature  of  the  water.  Know- 
ing this,  I  waited  patiently  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  after 
three  hours  saw  my  game  rise  to  the  surface. 

By  this  time  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages  we  had  just  left,  at- 
tracted by  the  firing  of  my  rifle,  had  manned  their  large  war- 
canoes.     There  must  have  been  at  least  fiftv  of  them,  each  canoe 


54  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

filled  with  armed  warriors.  I  had  only  just  managed  to  get  my 
hippopotamus  in  shallow  water  v/hen  these  people  surrounded  me. 
I  noticed  that  they  had  come  prepared  for  a  quarrel,  each  being 
armed  with  spear  and  knife.  They  thought  to  intimidate  me  by 
their  formidable  strength.  Some  of  the  bolder  even  jumped  out 
of  their  canoes,  danced  wildly  around  the  hippopotamus,  brandish- 
ing their  knives,  and  invited  the  others  to  come  on  and  cut  up  the 
meat,  saying:  "The  white  man  has  no  right  to  this  meat.  Hip- 
popotami belong  to  us.  He  killed  it  in  our  district.  His  men  can 
have  a  small  share,  but  he  cannot  expect  to  come  and  shoot  our 
game  and  take  all  away  with  him."  Now  if  they  had  simply 
asked  me  for  a  portion  of  the  meat,  I  would  willingly  have  ac- 
ceded to  their  request,  as  it  was  my  intention  to  give  them  some ; 
but  in  attempting  to  frighten  me  by  a  display  of  force,  they  were 
pursuing  an  entirely  wrong  course.  I  immediately  called  off  my 
men,  ten  of  whom  had  rifles,  and  could  be  thoroughly  trusted, 
and  gave  them  orders  to  load. 

Fortunately,  on  the  sand-bank  where  I  had  beached  my  canoe 
were  several  little  clumps  of  grass,  and  an  old  tree  or  two  that  had 
been  washed  ashore.  Taking  advantage  of  this  cover,  1  placed 
my  men  in  safety.  I  then  walked  forward,  and  explained  to  the 
excited  natives  of  Mbunga  that  I  had  come  there  as  a  friend.  I 
did  not  wish  any  trouble,  but  that  the  hippopotamus  belonged  to 
nobody  until  he  was  dead ;  now  as  I  had  shot  him,  I  considered 
him  mine.  Moreover,  I  was  going  to  do  what  I  liked  with  him.  I 
would  keep  him  all  if  I  chose,  or  I  would  sink  him  to  the  bottom 
of  the  river.  I  should  be  guided  in  the  matter  by  my  own  will 
only,  and  if  they  thought  they  were  strong  enough  to  take  him, 
I  invited  them  to  make  the  trial.  Said  I,  "These  men  of  mine  are 
armed  with  the  same  weapon  with  which  I  killed  that  animal. 
You  have  not  such  thick  hides  as  he  has,  so  I  advise  you  to 
quickly  retreat."  At  first  my  speech  only  incensed  them,  for  some 
headstrong,  fiery  young  men  immediately  proposed  to  take  the 
meat  from  me  by  force.  One  even  went  so  far  as  to  jump  out  of 
the  canoe  and  make  for  the  hippopotamus ;  but  I  covered  him  so 
promptly  with  my  rifle  that  he  saw  I  meant  what  I  said.  Slacken- 


DIVIDING   THE  MEAT.  55 

ing  his  pace,  his  countenance,  which  at  first  denoted  only  savage 
arrogance,  now  assumed  a  look  of  intense  fear,  and  dropping  his 
knife  down  by  his  side,  he  skulked  back  to  his  canoe. 

Tne  chief,  Ndombe,  who  had  been  made  my  blood-brother,  hap- 
pened to  be  in  one  of  the  canoes,  so  I  called  him  by  name,  and 
said  I  was  surprised  at  the  treatment  1  was  receiving  at  the  hands 
of  his  followers.  Also  1  advised  him  to  speak  with  the  people  and 
to  explain  to  them  the  folly  of  any  hostile  demonstrations.  All  the 
canoes  were  then  brought  together,  and  the  Mbunga  natives  ap- 
peared to  have  decided  among  themselves,  that  a  white  man's 
powder  and  shot  might  lend  convincing  force  to  his  arguments, 
for  they  hastened  to  tell  me  that  I  was  in  the  right.  I  then  in- 
formed them  that  I  had  no  intention  of  taking  all  the  meat  with 
me.  I  was  not  greedy ;  I  wanted  some  of  the  meat  for  my  men, 
but  I  myself  should  decide  how  much. 

Now,"  said  I,  "Ndombe,  you  are  my  blood-brother.     I  shall  give 
3-0U  one  leg  for  yourself  and  village.     The  remainder  of  the  half 
I  shall  distribute  among  these  people,  but  not  one  man  is  to  cut  up 
a  piece  of  the  meat.     My  own   men   shall   do   that.     My   gun   is 
loaded,  and  wliat  I  say  I  mean.    I  shall  sit  here,  and  if  one  of  your 
men  attempts  to  cut  the  meat  without  my  permission,  I  shall  con- 
sider it   the  commencement   of  hostilities,  and  shall    shoot  him 
down."    This  bit  of  bravado  on  my  part  had  the  desired  elfect. 
They  kept  at  a  respectful  distance  until  I  had  cut  up  as  much  of 
the  animal  as  I  wanted.     I  did  not  take  even  half:  but  left  them 
the  greater  part.      When  I  called  them  and  handed  them  their 
share,  they  were  delighted.     IMy  speech  and  show  of  fearlessness 
had  a  very  good  effect.     We  parted  the  best  of  friends,  and  I  left 
this  savage  crowd  to  fight  among  themselves  for  the  remainder  of 
the  meat.     For  a  long  time  after  leaving  this  scene,  as  we  paddled 
homeward  through  the   quiet  waters,  amidst  a  labyrinth  of  tiny 
islands,  we  could  hear  their  wild  and  excited  talk  as  they  squab- 
bled over  the  plunder.     The   sight  of  blood  always   betrays  the 
savage.     It  is  to  him  what  the  red  flag  is  to  a  bull. 

It  was  dark  before    I  again   reached  Lukolela.     From  a  great 
distance  I  could  see  the  lights  of  many  torches  sprinkled   about 


56  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

the  shore.  As  I  approached,  a  hum  of  voices  was  borne  toward 
me  on  the  still  night  air.  All  the  villagers  were  gathered  on  the 
strand,  anxious  to  hear  what  fortunes  had  befallen  us  on  our 
journey.  When  the  prow  of  my  canoe  drove  sharply  on  the 
beach,  and  the  hustling  crowd  discovered  our  freight  of  hippo 
meat,  great  was  their  joy.  All  were  eager  to  bear  a  hand  in  un- 
loading the  canoe,  and  a  great  torch-lit  crowd  of  yelling  negroes 
escorted  us  on  to  the  station.  Most  of  the  meat  was  distributed 
in  the  village,  and  was  roasted  over  large  fires.  Far  into  the 
night  I  could  hear  the  sounds  of  revelry  which  succeeded  the  great 
banquet,  and  standing  on  my  beach  I  watched  the  bonfires  flaring- 
down  in  the  village,  while  lithe  black  figures  crossed  and  re-crossed 
in  the  fitful  light,  mingling  in  wild  and  joyous  dances.  The 
shadows  of  great  forest  trees  hung  over  them,  and  all  around  was 
intense  darkness.  Songs  and  laughter  came  echoing  through  the 
woods  until  the  embers  had  turned  to  ashes,  and  the  morning 
light  was  glimmering  in  the  horizon. 

T  was  much  pleased  that  my  first  hunting  expedition  had  ended 
so  successfully.  The  Ba-Bangi  are  born  hunters,  and  the  surest 
way  in  which  a  stranger  can  gain  their  esteem  is  to  exhibit  skill 
and  prowess  in  the  field.  Besides,  I  am  afraid  that  in  my  talks 
with  my  neigrhbors  I  had  been  guilty  of  exaggerations  that  led 
to  expectations  of  great  things  from  me,  which  I  more  than 
doubted  my  own  ability  to  fulfill.  I  felt  that,  in  this  first  hunt,  I 
stood  on  trial  before  the  whole  tribe,  and  was  secretly  pleased  to 
be  able  to  establish  a  secure  reputation  as  a  hunter  by  a  feast  of 
hippo-meat.  After  this  whenever  I  could  snatch  an  opportunity, 
I  would  scour  the  country  round  in  search  of  big  game.  My  vil- 
lagers were  equally  eager  for  the  chase,  and  were  anxious  to  bring 
me  the  first  news  of  a  wandering  herd  of  buffaloes  or  of  ele- 
phants. The  natives  of  this  part  of  Africa  invariably  bestow  a 
nickname  on  the  white  men  who  visit  their  villages,  and  in  the, 
selection  of  the  cognomen  they  are  generally  guided  by  som.e 
peculiarity  of  character  or  personal  appearance.  One  of  our  offi- 
cers on  the  Lower  River  who  wore  around  his  hat  a  scarf  of 
light  gauze,  became  known  as  "  Kipepeyo  "  (butterfly)  owing  to  the 


MY  NATIVE  NAME. 


57 


resemblance  of  his  headgear  to  this  insect.  Another  man  received 
the  title  of  "Amuskini"  (beggar),  the  blacks  averred  that  his  con- 
stant wearing  of  one  pair  of  pants  was  proof  that  he  had  no 
others.  Until  now  I  had  been  known  among  the  natives  as 
"  Mwana  Tendele,"  or  son  of  Stanley.  But  after  my  success  in  the 
hunting  field,  I  became  known  throughout  the  district  as  "  Ma- 
kula"  (literally,  Arrows),  a  name  bestowed  by  the  natives  only 
upon  distinguished  hunters,  my  good  fortune  in  supplying  the  vil- 
lage with  feasts  of  hippopotamus  and  buffalo  meat  having  earned 
me  this  proud  title,  which  I  held  during  my  six  years'  residence 
in  Central  Africa. 


■ir'F'^ 


AN   ANGKY    Illl'ro. 


WXR  DRUM,    IVORY    HORN    AMJ   IKON  GONG. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MY  DUSKY   NEIGHBORS. 


Daily  Life  in  thk  African  Village— Strange  observances-!  am  advised  to  extract 
MY  eyelashes— Bongo  Nsanda— BtLFFAi.o  HUNTiN(i— Tiik  Congo  Fowl— My  jslaok 
HCNTER  in  peril— Stanley's  Return  from  the  Falls— Mpuke  desires  my  sklll— \\  ar. 

My  knowledge  of  the  native  language  assisted  me  to  obtain  an 
insight  into  the  native  character,  and  to  understand  to  some  ex- 
tent their  peculiarities  of  manner  and  custom. 

Natives  who  have  associated  much  with  white  men  become  reti- 
cent; they  comprehend  the  great  difference  separating  their 
modes  of  life  and  thought  from  ours,  and  they  will  endeavor  to 
conceal,  as  much  as  possible,  feelings  and  prejudices  ihey  know 
will  be  misunderstood.  But  my  Lukolela  neighbors  had  seen  but 
few  white  men— in  fact,  the  majority  of  them  had  never  seen  one 
—and  certainly  none  had  met  a  "mundele"  (white  man),  who  could 
speak  their  language;  so  they  chattered  away  with  the  frank 
unreserve  of  children,  revealing  in  their  conversation  very  many 
good  qualities  mingled  with  much  that  was  savage  and  super- 
stitious. 

In  order  to  place  before  the  reader  a  picture  of  savage  life  un- 
touched by  civilization,  I   could   hardly   do  better  than   lightly 


SCENE  OF  VILLAGE  LIFE.  59 

sketch  a  typical  village  at  Lukolela  as  I  have  intimately  known 
it. 

The  whole  district  contains  about  three  thousand  people,  known 
as  the  *  Ba-Bangi,  the  land  occupied  by  them  extending  along  the 
south  bank  of  the  Congo  for  two  miles,  the  villages  being  dotted 
through  this  distance  in  clusters  of  fifty  or  sixty  houses,  which 
are  built  on  each  side  of  one  long  street  or  in  open  squares.  They, 
are  roofed  with  either  palm  leaves  or  grass,  the  walls  being  com- 
posed of  split  bamboo.  Some  of  these  dwellings  contain  two  or 
three  compartments,  with  only  one  entrance ;  while  others  are 
long  structures,  divided  up  into  ten  or  twelve  rooms,  each  with 
its  own  entrance  from  the  outside.  At  the  back  of  these  dwellings 
are  large  plantations  of  banana  trees;  while  above  them  tower  the 
stately  palm  trees,  covering  street  and  huts  with  their  friendly 
shade. 

In  this  equatorial  land,  the  length  of  the  day  varies  but  little 
during  the  whole  year ;  it  is  light  from  six  in  the  morning  till  six 
in  the  evening  and  night  succeeds  day  with  but  very  slight  inter- 
mission of  twilight. 

It  is  in  the  cool  of  the  early  morning  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
business  of  the  village  is  transacted.  Most  of  the  women  repair 
soon  after  six  to  their  plantations,  where  they  work  until  noon,  a 
few  of  them  remaining  in  the  village  to  attend  to  culinary  and 
other  domestic  matters.  Large  earthen  pots,  containing  fish, 
banana,  or  manioc,  are  boiling  over  wood  fires,  around  which 
cluster  the  young  boys  and  girls  and  the  fev,^  old  men  and  women, 
enjoying  the  heat  until  the  warm  rays  of  the  morning  sun  appear. 
Meanwhile  the  fishermen  gather  up  their  traps,  arm  themseivcn, 
and  paddle  off  to  their  fishing-grounds;  the  hunters  take  their 
spears  or  bows  and  arrows  and  start  off  to  pick  up  tracks  of  their 
game;  the  village  blacksmith  starts  his  fire ;  the  ad^e  of  the  car- 
penter is  heard  busily  at  work ;  fishing  and  game  nets  are  un- 
rolled and  damages  examined ;  and  the  medicine  man  is  busy 
gesticulating  with  his  charms.  As  the  sun  rises  the  scene  becomes 
more  and  more  animated  ;  the  warmth  of  the  fire  is  discarded,  and 

*Ba  slcnlflps  pnoplp.  In  tlic  nntlro  Inncnafrp. 


60 


IN  SA  VAGE  AFRICA. 


every  department  of  industry  becomes  full  of  life — the  whole  scene 
rendered  cheerful  by  the  happy  faces  and  merry  laughter  of  the  lit- 
tle ones  as  they  scamper  here  and  there  engaged  in  their  games. 

At  noon  the  overpowering  heat  of  the  tropical  sun  compels  a  ces- 
sation of  work,  the  whole  settlement  assumes  an  air  of  calmness, 

and  a  lazy  quietude  prevails 
everywhere.  After  the  mid- 
day meal  has  been  disposed 
of,  groups  of  men,  women, 
and  children  seek  out  the 
shady  nooks  of  the  village, 
and  either  sleep,  engage  in 
conversation,  or  pass  their 
time  in  hair-dressing  or  in 
attending  to  some  other 
matter  of  the  toilet  which 
native  fashion  demands, 
such  as  shaving  off  eye- 
brows— an  operation  which 
is  also  extended  to  all  hairs 
on  the  face  except  those  on 
the  chin,  which  are  plaited 
in  the  form  of  a  rat's  tail. 
The  closer  the  finger  nails 
are  cut,  the  more  fashiona- 
ble it  is  thought.  At  the 
finger  ends  the  nails  are  cut 
down  to  the  quick,  and  any 
one  posing  as  either  beau  or 
belle  always  has  some  of  the  finger  and  toe-nails  pared  entirely 
off,  till  the  quick  is  exposed. 

There  is  another  item  of  fashion  to  be  most  religiously  observed, 
which  is  the  extraction  of  eyelashes.  They  form  an  impromptu 
pair  of  pincers  with  the  end  of  the  thumb  and  a  knife-blade,  then 
deliberately  pull  out  all  their  eyelashes,  and  when  the  eye  is  so 
aggravated  by  the  treatment  that  it  fills  with  water,  and  big  tears 


'~-^.V 


GOING  TO  WORK    IN   HER  I'LANTATION. 


A  CHIEF'S  IDEA  OF  BEAUTY 


61 


roll  down  the  cheeks,  they  commence  on  the  other  one  till  the 
first  is  recovered  sufficiently  to  allo%v  of  the  completion  of  the 
operation.  Often  while  I  have  been  speaking  to  a  native  he  has 
drawn  his  big  blade  from  the  scabbard  and  plucked  out  the  short 
stubby  eyelashes,  which  had  sprouted  since  the  last  extraction 
and  at  the  same  time  he  has  carried  on  intelligent  conversation 
as  though  the  operation  were  not  at  all  a  painful  one.  A  native 
who  appears  in  the  midst  of  a  gathering  of  others  without  having 
duly  regarded  this  tribal  custom  is  considered  very  low  down  in 
the  scale  of  society,  and  he  receives  from  his  fellows  contemptuous 
sneers,  and  the  ignominious  title  of  "Misu  nkongea"  (hairy  feyes). 

As  I  was  constantly  trying  to  impress  upon  my  Lukolela  neigh- 
bors the  fact  that  I  wished  to  live  always  on  good  terms  with 
them,  and  was  willing  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  please  them,  they 
suggested  that  I  should  become  a  devotee  to  some  of  their  strange 
observances ;  they  w-ere  anxious  that  I  should  have  my  face  decor- 
ated with  their  tribal  tattoo  mark,  which  is  a  series  of  gashes  cut 
with  an  iron  razor  across  the  forehead  and  temples. 

They  tried  to  persuade  me  to  allow  my  hair  to  grow  long  and 
have  it  plaited  like  their  own  into  long  pigtail  designs  sprouting 
out  from  different  parts  of  the  head ;  my  dusky  friends  also  de- 
sired that  I  should  place  myself  in  the  hands  of  the  dentist,  who 
was  the  village  blacksmith ;  this  worthy  craftsman  would  bestow 
on  me  additional  ornamentation  by  chipping  all  my  front  teeth  to 
sharp  points  with  an  old  chisel  made  from  a  flattened  nail.  As  I 
lived  in  hopes  of  returning  to  civilization  in  a  few  years,  I  decided 
to  dispense  with  these  tribal  disfigurements,  althougli  it  was  highly 
satisfactory  and  flattering  to  be  told  by  my  blood-brother,  Munga- 
ba,  that  if  my  skin  were  a  few  shades  darker,  and  I  would  adliere 
to  these  national  observances,  I  would  be  a  good-looking  fellow. 

]My  station  was  separated  from  the  nearest  of  these  clusters  of 
huts  by  a  thickly  w^ooded  forest,  through  which  I  cleared  a  path ; 
and,  dividing  my  settlement  at  its  extreme  limit  from  tlie  village, 
was  a  stream  about  seventy  yards  wide.  By  driving  piles  at  short 
distances  across  this,  I  was  able  to  build  a  good  strong  bridge, 
which  together  with  iny  forest  path,  made  communicatiou   with 


63  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

my  dusky  neighbors  a  very  easy  matter.  It  was  my  custom  each 
morning  to  saunter  down  to  the  villages,  and  pass  from  group 
to  group  exchanging  salutations  with  the  natives,  and  learning 
the  news  of  the  day. 

In  course  of  time  I  came  to  know  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
in  the  district. 

There  was  always  something  new  to  interest  me — the  traders 
loading  up  their  canoes  in  preparation  for  a  visit  to  some  of  the 
neighboring  villages  in  quest  of  ivory  or  red-wood;  the  different 
artificers  busily  employed  at  their  separate  trades,  working  copper 
and  brass  into  heavy  bangles  with  which  to  encircle  their  wives' 
necks  and  ankles,  to  satisfy  the  feminine  craving  for  finery,  or 
beating  iron  into  keen  and  sharp  pointed  spear-heads  or  queerly- 
shaped  knife-blades — or,  with  nothing  but  an  odd  looking  little 
adze,  fashioning  from  a  rough  log  of  wood  an  artistically  carved 
chair  or  slender  lancewood  paddle ;  the  potter,  equally  ingenious 
and  artistic  in  his  way,  transforming  with  his  cunning  hand  a 
mass  of  black  clay  into  vessels  almost  as  graceful  in  design  as 
those  of  the  ancient  Greeks. 

Pleasant  sounds  of  busy  life  were  heard  from  every  dwelling, 
and  the  little  hamlets  snugly  embowered  in  the  luxuriant  foliage 
seemed  pervaded  with  an  air  of  peace  and  content. 

I  became  particularly  attached  to  my  young  hunter,  "Bongo 
Nsanda,"  whose  name  if  translated  would  be  "Long  Stick" — he 
was  six  feet  three  inches  in  height,  slim,  but  powerful,  and 
active  as  a  monkey;  with  bow  or  spear  his  aim  was  unerring, 
and  if  challenged  to  a  fight  with  knives,  he  would  draw  his  blade 
against  the  best  man  in  the  settlement.  The  villagers  had  dubbed 
him  "  Monjanga"  (brave  man),  for  his  fearlessness  in  the  battle  and 
in  the  chase. 

He  was  an  expert  backwoodsman,  knew  every  trail  that  ran 
through  the  land,  and  never  lost  bis  way  even  if  penetrating  the 
darkened  forests  hitherto  untrod  by  man.  During  my  long  resi- 
dence in  Central  Africa,  Bongo  Nsanda  and  myself  had  many  a 
serious  conflict  with  savage  men  and  fierce  animals. 

Lukolela   abounded  in   game;  flocks  of  ducks   could  be    found 


A  BUFFALO  HUXT.  63 

within  a  few  miles  of  my  station,  and  the  native  women  were  con- 
stantly begging  me  to  shoot  the  mischievous  Guinea  fowl  which 
wrought  such  havoc  in  their  plantations  of  sweet  potatoes  and 
ground  nuts.  I  had  also  my  choice  of  hunting  hippopotami,  ele- 
phants, or  buffaloes;  but  for  an  exciting  day's  sport  I  preferred 
taking  my  gun  in  search  of  the  last  named  animals.  There  were 
any  number  of  them  in  the  district,  but  they  did  not  band  together 
in  such  extensive  herds  as  used  to  roam  over  the  prairies  of  the 
United  States,  though  I  once  saw  as  many  as  three  hundred 
within  a  few  hours'  walk  from  my  post.  They  v/ere  gathered  on  a 
bare  patch,  of  about  three  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  nearly 
round,  in  the  middle  of  a  large  grass  plain.  In  it  were  a  few  pools 
of  water,  and  in  the  center  of  this  patch  was  a  tongue  of  grass.  I 
took  advantage  of  this  cover,  and  was  able  to  approach  within 
twenty-five  yards  of  them.  The  buffaloes  were  then  upon  three 
sides  of  me.  Some  of  them  were  lying  down,  basking  in  the  sun, 
others  wallowing  in  the  muddy  pools ;  a  few  old  stagers  seemed  to 
be  on  the  lookout,  as  they  would  browse  a  little  and  then  raise 
their  heads  and  look  in  all  directions  to  make  sure  that  no  enemy 
was  near.  The  little  ones  were  frolicking  about,  playing  like 
young  lambs.  For  some  time  I  watched  the  scene  in  silence  from 
my  cover,  almost  loth  to  disturb  the  picturesque  groups  by  the 
crack  of  my  rifle ;  but  the  sporting  instinct  was  too  strong  for  me ; 
besides  the  garrison  bill  of  fare  needed  savorj-  embellishment,  so 
I  easily  persuaded  myself  that  the  loss  of  one  of  that  herd  would 
make  little  difference.  I  picked  out  a  big  dark  colored  bull  that 
was  offering  a  fair  shot,  and  fired.  I  knew  that  I  had  crippled 
him,  but  was  surprised  to  see  that  my  wounded  buffalo  was  sur- 
rounded by  several  others,  who  immediately  grouped  themselves 
about  him,  and  helped  him  along  in  their  midst.  I  followed  the 
track,  and  was  rewarded,  after  going  a  few  hundred  yards,  to  find 
my  game  quite  dead.  The  others  must  have  actually  carried  him 
along  until  life  was  extinct  and  they  had  to  drop  him.  This 
strange  fact  has  often  been  noticed  by  hunters.  Elei>hants  will 
do  the  same  thing,  often  helping  to  raise  a  wounded  comrade  from 
the  ground  where  he  has  fallen. 


64  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

The  principal  domestic  meat  supply  to  be  had  on  the  Congo  is 
fowl.  This  biped  is  to  be  seen  dawdling:  around  every  village, 
plumage  all  awry,  and  presenting  a  picture  of  a  dissipated,  long- 
legged,  skinny,  half-feathered,  prematurely  old  bird.  Occasion- 
ally he  will  attempt  to  crow ;  putting  his  feet  wide  apart  to  get 
a  good  purchase  for  the  painful  effort,  he  commences  a  hideous 
screeching  noise,  but  he  seldom  gets  more  than  half  way  through 
a  recognized  crow  when  he  ends  off  with  an  indistinct  internal 
wheeze,  after  which  he  totters  away,  thoroughly  exhausted  with 
his  exertions. 

For  table  use  he  is  not  a  success ;  no  amount  of  fine  cooking  will 
change  his  tasteless  nature ;  when  you  curry  him  you  taste  only 
the  curry  powder  and  condiments;  as  a  roast  the  butter  is  the 
conspicuous  part  of  the  dish ;  and  in  a  soup  you  have  only  the 
taste  of  the  water.  A  prolonged  diet  upon  this  insipid  food  be- 
comes exceedingly  monotonous;  so  I  always  availed  myself  of  op- 
portunities to  furnish  my  cook  the  wherewith  to  prepare  a  more 
appetizing  table. 

I  remember  upon  one  occasion  the  uninviting  appearance  of  the 
feathered  occupants  of  my  poultry-yard  suggested  to  me  that  a 
little  game  would  be  a  welcome  relief  from  the  monotonous  menu 
which  confronted  me  at  every  meal.  I  told  my  dusky  friend 
Bongo  Nsanda  that  the  consumption  of  my  usual  dinner  of  domes- 
tic produce  was  a  disheartening  operation,  and  I  was  determined 
to  have  a  buffalo  steak.  I  could  see  at  once  by  his  manner  that 
he  relished  the  prospect  of  a  change  in  the  bill  of  fare.  His  long 
tongue  almost  touched  the  tip  of  his  nose  as  he  licked  his  lips  in 
anticipation.  " Niama  ngombo  malarmu"  (buffalo  meat  is  good), 
said  he. 

So  it  was  decided  that  we  should  leave  early  next  morning  on  a 
buffalo  hunt,  and  at  the  earliest  streaks  of  dawn  my  canoe  was 
manned  by  Bongo  Nsanda  and  six  other  blacks,  and  we  crossed 
to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  there  was  a  large  plain  in 
which  I  was  generally  successful  in  finding  game.  Arrived  there, 
we  struck  off  into  the  grass,  and  after  walking  a  few  miles 
the  fresh  trail  of  a  buffalo  warned  us  to   be  on  the  alert.     Care- 


A   WOUNDED  BULL. 


05 


fully  following  the  tracks,  we  presently  saw,  about  twenty  yards 
ahead  of  us,  the  black  head  and  shoulders  of  a  large  bull  just 
peeping  out  above  the  tall  grass,  listening  attentively  as  if  in- 
stinctively warned  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy.  I  took  a  quick 
aim  and  hit  him  in  the  shoulder,  when  he  charged  right  down 
on  us.  Finding  that  the  long  grass  hid  us  from  view,  he  tore 
about  wildly  searching  for  us,  snorting  Avith  pain  and  breathing 
heavily  as  he  became  w^eakened  from  loss  of  blood.  I  was  only 
once  able  to  get  a  snap  shot  at  him  as  he  passed  through  a 
little  patch  of  short  grass,  but  this  time 
I  did  not  drop  him.  My  second  bullet 
only  increased  his  rage,  and  he  sprang 
off  wildly  into  a  neighboring  swamp, 
crashing  down  the  bushes  in  his  mad 
rush. 

I  followed  him,  sending  my  native  hun- 
ter round  one  way  while  I  took  the  other. 
I  had  gone  but  a  few  yards  into  the 
swamp,  when  my  attention  was  diverted 
by  a  cry  for  help  from  Bongo  Xsanda, 
my  hunter.  I  knew  by  the  tone  of  his 
voice  that  he  was  really  in  danger,  so  I 
crept  hastily  along  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  cry  had  come.  As  I  drew  near  I  found  that  Bongo 
Nsanda  was  indeed  in  need  of  help.  He  was  hanging  by  the  top- 
most branch  of  a  young  sapling,  which  was  bending  lower  and 
lower  with  his  weight,  and  was  now  almost  within  the  buffalo's 
reach.  I  was  only  just  in  time,  for  the  impetus  with  which  the 
maddened  brute  was  making  his  second  charge  would  have  rooted 
up  the  tree  and  flung  my  hunter  to  the  ground,  and  he  would  have 
been  gored  into  a  mangled  mass.  But  I  was  fortunately  able  to 
avoid  this  tragic  ending  by  putting  a  bullet  behind  the  shoulder 
into  the  heart,  which  sent  the  beast  headlong  to  the  earth  writhing 
in  his  death  struggles.  So  instead  of  having  to  celebrate  my 
hunter's  funeral  rites,  as  at  one  time  seemed  more  than  probable, 
I  had  the  more  savory  experience  of  eating  buffalo  steak. 


HEAD  OF    AFRICAN  BUFFA'.O. 


66 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


This  little  incident  was  afterward  embodied  in  one  of  the  native 
songs,  and  Bongo  Nsanda  became  as  stanch  a  friend  to  me  as  man 
ever  had. 

He  was  with  me  at  one  time  on  a  visit  with  a  few  of  my  Zanzi- 
bari  soldiers  to  an  inland  village,  the  natives  of  which  had  par- 
taken too  freely  of  the  fermented  juice  of  the  palm  tree,  with  the 


"UROF    THAT  KNIFk! 


result  that  several  of  them  were  intoxicated,  and  savages  in  that 
condition  become  at  once  brutal  and  arrogant.  Our  arrival  in  the 
village  was  the  signal  for  great  uproar ;  their  disordered  minds 
imagined  we  had  come  to  fight ;  they  grasped  their  knives,  spears, 
and  shields,  and  prepared  to  attack.  I  hastened  to  explain  to  the 
chief,  Molumbu,  that  I  came  as  a  friend,  but  as  I  approached  him 
he  drew  his  big  knife,  raised  it  threateningly  over  his  head,  and 
rushed  at  me.  He  did  not  realize  his  danger  at  first,  though  I 
pointed  my  loaded  rifle  at  his  breast  and  warned  him  to  drop 
his  knife  or   I   Avould  shoot;    but  Bongo   Nsanda  sprang   at  him 


THE  CHIEFTAIN  COWED.  67 

with  his  keen  blade,  ready  to  cut  him  down  if  he  did  not  surren- 
der, and  quick  as  a  flasli  the  old  chief  saw  his  peril  and  as  he 
^azed  down  my  rifle  barrel,  and  saw  my  resolute  supporter,  his 
courage  failed,  and  he  tremblingly  begged  for  mercy.  Bongo 
Nsanda  then  indignantly  condemned  these  people  for  their  un- 
provoked hostility.  He  told  them,  "If  the  white  man  had  not 
been  a  friend,  your  chief  would  now  be  lying  dead ;  your  knives 
and  spears  are  no  match  for  the  rifle  he  carries — one  ball  from 
that  weapon  kills  the  monster  hippopotamus  and  elephant,  and 
the  buffalo  dies  as  he  charges.  If  you  make  war  with  Makula 
(my  native  name),  there  will  be  fresh  graves  around  this  village, 
and  his  friends,  the  warriors  of  the  Lukolela  chiefs  Mungaba 
and  luka,  will  utterly  destroy  you  all." 

At  Bongo  Nsanda's  speech  every  ready  poised  spear  was 
lowered,  the  menacing  blades  were  quickly  sheathed,  and  the 
natives  of  Mpama  presented  me  with  more  bananas,  pine-apples, 
fowls,  and  goats  than  I  could  possibly  carry  away,  in  atonement 
for  their  hasty  conduct. 

Though  I  was  constantly  making  excursions  to  the  native  set- 
tlements in  my  district,  the  building  of  my  station  was  not 
neglected,  and  the  hard  toil  of  many  weeks  was  beginning  to  tell 
in  its  improved  appearance. 

The  site  was  thoroughly  cleared  of  tree  roots  and  weeds.  My 
men  were  working  well,  and  I  myself  had  not  been  idle,  for  I  had 
to  educate  my  Zanzibaris  in  handicrafts  of  which  I  knew  little, 
and  to  transform  my  men  into  carpenters,  sawyers,  plasterers, 
etc.,  as  the  occasion  required.  I  had  now  well  under  way  a  large 
house  destined  to  supersede  the  little  hut  in  which  I  had  been  liv- 
ing since  Stanley  left,  and  I  was  very  anxious  to  leave  my  grass 
thatched  domicile,  as  I  found  at  different  times  that  my  humble 
abode  was  shared  by  very  unpleasant  companions.  Sometimes 
in  the  evening  I  would  pick  out  a  few  tunes  on  my  banjo,  which 
had  now  been  reduced  to  three  strings.  One  night  I  was  thus  en- 
gaged when  by  the  faint  glimmer  of  my  home-made  palm  oil 
lamp  I  saw  a  snake  wriggle  out  from  my  bed  and  twine  itself 
around  the  post  over  which  my  mosquito  net  was  thrown  :  though 


68  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

a  snake  which  can  be  charmed  by  a  three-stringed  banjo  must 
have  an  amiable  disposition,  still  he  might  be  possessed  of  traits 
of  character  hardly  desirable  in  a  room-mate,  so  I  cut  the  reptile's 
head  off  with  my  hunting  knife,  looked  in  every  nook  and  corner 
to  see  if  there  were  any  more  of  the  familv,  and  ceased  from  that 
time  onward  to  utilize  my  musical  ability  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
juring up  snakes. 

On  another  occasion  a  "muntula,"  a  small  species  of  leopard, 
tore  a  hole  in  the  side  of  my  hut  one  night,  and  carried  away  an 
old  hen  which  had  nested  in  my  rooin  and  hatched  out  a  brood  of 
little  chickens.  The  presence  of  frogs,  lizards,  and  an  occasional 
centipede,  combined  to  prompt  me  to  seek  more  comfortable 
quarters,  and  be  rid  of  my  uninvited  guests. 

It  was  not  an  ambitious  structure,  which  I  was  building,  but  it 
was  lofty  and  airy,  with  walls  composed  of  white  clay  laid  upon 
a  frame-work  of  timber,  and  was  roofed  with  grass.  While  this 
work  was  in  progress,  I  had  educated  two  of  my  men  to  use  the 
long  pit-saw,  a  saw  with  a  handle  at  each  end,  used  by  two  men ; 
one  of  whom  stands  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  the  other 
in  a  deep  pit  below  the  timber  which  is  being  cut,  and  soon  had  a 
fine  stock  of  planks  made  from  the  trees  which  I  felled  in  the 
neighboring  forest;  and  with  the  assistance  of  a  young  West 
Coast  African,  who  had  a  natural  bent  for  carpentering,  I  soon 
had  doors,  windows,  shutters,  and  all  the  necessary  wood-work, 
ready  for  my  new  house.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  been  compelled  to 
make  shift  with  my  trunks  and  boxes  for  chairs  and  tables,  but 
now  I  was  able  to  enjoy  the  comfort  of  a  table  and  chair  of  my 
own  manufacture,  and  for  the  first  time  I  appreciated  the  posses- 
sion of  those  useful  articles  of  furniture. 

Four  months  of  pioneer  work,  diversified  by  trips  into  the  in- 
terior and  hunting  excursions,  had  passed  rapidly  away,  when  one 
January  afternoon,  a  fisherman  brought  news  to  the  station  that, 
while  spreading  his  nets  in  a  reach  of  the  river  just  above  Luko- 
lela,  he  had  sighted  a  flotilla  composed  of  three  steamers  floating 
down  stream.  It  was  Stanley  and  his  followers  returning  from 
Stanley  Falls.     All  was  now  excitement.     My  men  were  as  eager 


STANLEY'S  RETURN.  69 

as  I  was  to  give  the  great  explorer  a  hearty  welcome  on  his  return. 
"We  all  hastened  down  to  the  beach,  and  with  cries  of  "Sail  hoi" 
"Masua!"  (boats),  "Bwana  kubua  anarude!"  (The  big  master  is 
returning),  hailed  the  first  glimpse  w^e  caught  of  the  little  fleet  as 
it  rounded  a  distant  point.  My  Zanzibaris  donned  their  brightest 
cloth  in  honor  of  the  occasion,  and  presented  a  really  fine  appear- 
ance as  they  lined  the  beach  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  boats.  A 
strongly  flowing  current  and  rough  weather  had  told  on  the  little 
fleet,  and  the  new  paint  that  looked  so  bright  and  gay  only  five 
months  before  at  Leopoldville  had  faded  and  blistered  under  the 
scorching  sun.  When  Stanley  landed,  I  noticed  that  he,  too, 
showed  signs  of  hard  work  and  exposure,  but  bronzed  and 
weather-beaten,  he  seemed  a  picture  of  rugged  health.  While  I 
was  saluting  my  chief,  I  noticed  that  he  was  regarding  me  with  a 
curiously  quizzical  look  in  his  eyes.  At  last  he  inquired  in  an  anx- 
ious tone  of  voice,  and  with  kindly  satire,  for  the  poor  young  Eng- 
lishman he  had  left  at  Lukolela  on  his  voyage  up-river  last  fall. 
He  added  that  he  feared  the  very  worst  had  befallen  *  him,  for 
when  he  last  saw  him  he  was  in  a  very  bad  way,  emaciated  and 
cadaverous.  He  feigned  great  surprise  when  I  hastened  to  assure 
him  that  I  was  the  sickly  youth  for  whom  he  expressed  so  much 
concern,  and  that  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life.  Stanley  compli- 
mented my  improved  appearance,  and  bestow-ed  much  kindly 
praise  on  the  progress  of  the  work  at  my  station.  There  was  not 
a  great  deal  in  the  way  of  improvement  that  I  could  show  him,  as 
he  inspected  my  little  patch  of  territory ;  but  there  had  been  many 
difficulties  to  be  overcome  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  land  and  its 
wild  surroundings.  He  was  also  much  pleased  with  the  friendly 
relations  that  existed  between  the  natives  and  our  settlement.  To 
know  that  Stanley  was  satisfied  with  the  way  I  liad  executed 
my  duties  was  to  me  the  greatest  satisfaction  I  had  ever  ex- 
jx'rienced  in  my  life. 

That  evening  he  narrated  the  history  of  his  expedition  on  its 
journey  to  Stanley  Falls,  half-way  across  the  African  continent. 
He  told  how  he  found  those  regions  in  the  hands  of  the  Arabs, 
^\'ho  hnd  marie  it  their  headquarters  for  raiding  excursions  into 


70  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

the  surrounding  country  in  search  of  ivory  and  slaves,  and  how 
he  had  founded  a  station  at  that  distant  point,  fifteen  hundred 
miles  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  placed  a  young  Scotch  en- 
gineer, named  Beiinie,  in  charge.  He  dwelt  upon  the  contrast 
between  his  cordial  reception  by  the  various  tribes  scattered  along 
his  route,  on  his  last  voyage,  and  the  hostilities  he  encountered  on 
all  sides  in  his  great  journey  in  '77. 

The  patience,  diplomacy,  and  justice  he  had  then  exercised  ena- 
bled him  now  to  pass  through  the  savage,  cannibal  tribes  of  the 
upper  Congo  without  firing  a  shot — tribes  who  in  '77  attacked  him 
at  every  turn,  answering  his  offers  of  friendship  by  flights  of 
barbed  and  poisoned  arrows ;  and  where  once  compelled,  by  sheer 
hunger,  for  days  to  fight  for  food,  the  natives  now  welcomed  him 
with  exclamations  of  joy,  and  placed  at  his  disposal  the  best  their 
villages  contained. 

Stanley's  journeys  are  all  the  more  remarkable  when  we  con- 
sider the  nature  of  his  following.  Many  jail-birds  from,  the  Zanzi- 
bari  prisons  have  been  enrolled  in  his  service,  and  educated  under 
his  leadership  until  they  developed  into  brave  devoted  followers ; 
his  blacks  always  have  a  wonderful  confidence  in  his  judgment. 
When  I  was  with  him  there  were  Zanzibaris  in  the  expedition 
who  had  accompanied  him  in  his  search  for  Livingstone  and 
"Through  the  Dark  Continent,"  and  were  now  enlisted  for  a  new 
term  of  duty.  The  varied  experiences  they  undergo  during  a 
great  journey  through  Africa  make  Stanley's  servants  desirable 
followers,  who  are  capable  of  turning  their  hand  to  anything. 

There  was  an  evidence  of  this  illustrated  by  an  incident  which 
occurred  on  the  coast  of  Africa:  A  large  ship  was  wrecked,  and 
the  crew  and  passengers  were  stranded  on  shore  in  a  ])itiful  con- 
dition ;  when  found  they  were  suffering  abject  misery,  only  one 
little  spark  of  comfort  could  be  found  amidst  this  wretched  com- 
munity— one  man  was  sleeping  soundly  in  the  folds  of  a  thick 
blanket.  He  was  a  Zanzibari,  and  had  learned  to  make  the  best 
of  things  when  accompanying  Stanley  "Tnrough  the  Dark  Con- 
tinent." 

The  following  day,  after  Stanley  had   given   presents  of  cloth 


MPUKE'S   THREATS.  71 

and  trinkets  to  the  Lukolela  chiefs  in  exchange  for  goats  and 
fowls  they  brought  him,  I  witnessed  the  departure  of  the  flotilla, 
and  then  returned  to  my  work,  cheered  by  many  kind  wishes  and 
expressions  of  approval  from  my  chief. 

Stanley,  on  bidding  me  good-by,  had  promised  me  that  assist- 
ance should  be  sent  from  Leopoldville,  as  the  work  was  heavy  for 
one  man.  This  was  good  news  to  me,  as  the  presence  of  another 
white  man  at  the  station  would  relieve  the  feeling  of  isolation 
which  sometimes  crept  over  me  Avhen  I  looked  on  the  black  faces 
crowding  round  me,  and  I  remembered  the  many  leagues  that 
separated  me  from  the  nearest  Europeans.  I  have  mentioned  the 
friendliness  toward  me  of  the  tribes  bordering  on  the  station,  but 
there  was  trouble  in  store  from  another  quarter,  and  this,  too, 
made  me  wish  for  some  one  with  whom  I  could  take  counsel  when 
unexpected  difficulties  presented  themselves. 

Just  below  the  villages  of  Lukolela  there  was  another  native 
settlement  called  Makunja,  over  which  presided  Mpuke.  This 
old  chief  had,  since  our  first  landing,  assumed  a  hostile  and  un- 
friendly attitude ;  he  was  continually  catching  and  sometimes  kill- 
ing the  friendly  natives  of  Lukolela,  assigning  as  a  reason  for  this 
aggression  the  fact  that  they  were  friendly  with  me.  I  warned 
old  Mpuke  that  if  he  continued  this  policy  I  should  be  compelled 
to  punish  him.  In  answer  to  my  remonstrance  he  sent  word  to 
me  that  he  was  "Mokunje  Monene"  (the  big  chief)  of  this  part  of 
the  country ;  moreover,  there  was  no  room  for  another,  and  that 
he  intended  to  fight,  and  to  burn  to  the  ground  all  the  Lukolela 
villages ;  that  I  was  an  intruder,  and  before  many  days  were  past 
he  would  burn  and  destroy  my  station  and  the  huts  of  all  who 
wished  me  well.  He  also  added  that  his  vengeance  would  not  be 
complete  until  my  head  decorated  tlie  roof  of  his  house.  Mpuke 
was  evidently  in  earnest,  for  early  in  the  morning  after  I  had  re- 
ceived his  ultimatum,  I  was  startled  from  slee])  by  a  crowd  of 
natives  running  into  the  station  with  the  intelligence  that  the  vil- 
lages were  being  attacked.  I  could  hear,  whik>  they  spoke,  the 
loud  reports  of  old  flint-locks  in  the  distance,  and  abreast  of  tlio 
villages  I  could  see   the  Makunja  war-canoes  witli  armed  war- 


72 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


riors  who  were  challenging  the  Lukolela  villages  to  fight.  The 
Lukolela  men  implored  my  aid  in  repelling  this  attack.  As  I  was 
the  principal  object  of  Mpuke's  wrath,  I  determined  to  assist  them 
to  punish  the  old  tyrant,  whose  threat  anent  my  skull  had  put  me 
on  my  mettle.     I  took  ten  of  my  men,  well  armed  with  rifles,  and 


UPPKR  CONGO   VVKAPONS. 


went  into  the  villages.  Here  everything  was  in  a  state  of  con- 
fusion. Spears  and  knives  were  being  sharpened,  flint-lock 
muskets  charged.  The  warriors  were  rushing  here  and  there, 
donning  their  charms  and  rubbing  charcoal  on  their  faces,  to  ren- 
der themselves  as  formidable-looking  as  possible.  The  women 
were  all  making  for  my  station,  loaded  up  with  babies,  and 
baskets  containing  their  goods  and  chattels.  The  Lukolela  vil- 
lages and  those  of  Makunja  were  separated  by  a  mile  of  swampy 
forest,  through  which  ran  a    narrow  zig-zag  foot-path.     As  the 


A  SKIBMISH.  73 

only  way  to  effectively  punish  old  ]\Ipiike  was  to  attack  him  on 
his  own  soil,  I  led  my  men  in  this  direction.     When  we  were  about 
half  way  several  volleys  were  fired  at  us  by  the  natives  lying  in 
ambush,  one  charge  just  grazing  my  head;  and  from  the  thick 
cover,  spears  w^ere  hurled,  which  stuck  quivering  in  the   beaten 
ground.     The  sharp  crack  of  our  Snider  rifles,  however,  soon  scat- 
tered these  skirmishers,  who  made  off  in  the  direction  of  their  vil- 
lage, where  all  the  stragglers,  gathering  together,  made  a  last 
stand,  and  greeted  our  approach  with  a  random  fire  of  slugs  and 
spears.     This  was  soon  silenced  by  a  volley  from  my  men,  and 
we  entered  the  enemy's  village.     All  the  inhabitants  had  fied  at 
our  approach ;  there  was  not  a  soul  to  be  seen,  but  from  the  skirt- 
ing woods  rose  little  puffs  of  smoke,  followed  by  loud,  re-echoing 
reports  from  overcharged  muskets,  enabling  us  to  guess  the  where- 
abouts of  the  enemy.     When  I  had  time  to  look  about  me,  I  found 
that  I  had  four  men  seriously  wounded.     Mpuke's  threat  of  skull 
decoration  had  evidently  been  used  often  by  him,  and  judging  by 
the  roof -tree  of  his  house,  profusely  decorated  with  these  gliastly 
ornaments,  it  had  often  been  fulfilled.     I  burned  the  houses  to  the 
ground,  and  throwing  out  my  men  on  either  side  of  the  path,  leav- 
ing sentinels  on  the  limits  of  Lukolela,  we  returned  to  the  station 
unmolested.     At  night  an  incessant    drumming  was  kept   up  b}' 
the   two  villages.     The    mournful  wail    of   the   Makunja   iiecple, 
wafted  over  the  river,  told  that  our  rifles  had  done  their  work. 
Every  now  and  then  the  drumming  and  singing  would  cease,  and 
threatening    speeches     would    be    exchanged    as    to    the    fight 
to-morrow.     The  next  morning  I  again  proceeded  to  the  villages, 
and  ordered  one  of  the  Lukolela  chiefs  to  inform  Mpuke  that  I 
trusted  that  the  punishment  of  yesterday  would  be  sufficient  warn- 
ing to  him,  for  I  did  noc  wish  to  continue  the  fight.    Curses  heaped 
upon  my  head  were  the  only  answer  the  furious  old  chief  returned 
to  my  peaceful  overtures,  curses  invoking  horrible  calamities  both 
to    myself  and    my    unoffending    relations,    and    involving    my 
cousins,  uncles,  and  aunts  in  a  common  and  bloody  destruction 
with  intricate  details. 
As  I  listened  to  this  answer,  "Itumbal   Itumba!"  (war.    war!) 


74  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

was  echoed  and  re-echoed  by  a  savage  mob  of  Makunja  warriors, 
and  to  the  left  a  crowd  of  the  enemy  in  the  plantations  were  mim- 
icking with  excited  contortions  of  limb  the  dissection  Avhich  they 
intended  practicing  on  us  later  on  in  the  day.  I  found,  however, 
that  their  courage  was  only  skin-deep.  "With  a  few  of  my  Zanzi- 
baris,  and  some  of  the  natives  of  Lukolela,  who  were  emboldened 
by  the  success  of  the  day  before,  we  soon  quieted  their  fire  and 
cleared  them  out  of  their  position,  following  them  up  all  the  morn- 
ing until  the  old  chief  Mpuke  announced  that  he  had  had  enough 
of  fighting,  and  proclaimed  his  willingness  for  peace. 

Reluctantly  I  had  been  compelled  to  shoot  a  few  of  the  enemy  ; 
but  old  Mpuke  never  forgot  the  lesson,  and  became  most  friendly 
toward  me,  and  even  condescended  to  include  me  in  the  family 
circle,  always  referring  to  me  as  "Mwana  ISTgai"  (my  son),  a  con- 
descension on  his  part  Avhich  I  was  hardly  able  to  appreciate,  as  it 
devolved  on  me  a  filial  duty  of  periodically  supplying  presents  of 
cloth  to  my  would-be  dusky  parent. 

Although  I  was  at  Lukolela  nearly  two  years  after  this,  old 
Mpuke's  thrashing  had  damped  all  warlike  ambition  on  the  part 
of  the  natives,  and  these  were  the  only  shots  I  had  to  fire  in  de- 
fense of  my  position  while  at  Lukolela. 

My  dusky  neighbors  credited  me  Avith  possessing  supernatural 
power;  a  belief  which  I  did  not  correct.  It  assumed  at  times  rather 
a  ludicrous  aspect.  My  reading  a  book  puzzled  them  greatly; 
they  thought  it  an  instrument  of  magic  with  which  I  could  see  far 
into  the  future,  and  even  asked  me  to  look  into  my  "Talla  Talla" 
(mirror),  and  inform  them  whether  a  sick  child  would  recover;  or 
would  inquire  concerning  the  success  of  some  friend  who  was  en- 
gaged on  a  trading  expedition  far  away. 

On  a  few  occasions  I  was  able  to  turn  to  my  advantage  the  fact 
that  they  thought  me  a  wizard. 

For  instance,  one  day,  soon  after  my  arrival  at  Lukolela,  ten 
large  canoes,  each  containing  twenty  or  tweaty-five  men,  put  in  to 
my  beach,  to  visit  the  white-skinned  stranger,  and  the  men,  land- 
ing, crowded  up  to  see  me.  At  that  time  I  had  learned  a  few 
words  of  the  native  language,  so  the  strangeness  of  my  tongue 


WHITE  MAN'S  MAGIC.  75 

lent  interest  to  the  interview  and  caused  considerable  amusement 
to  the  natives.     They  were  evidently  well  satisfied  with  the  time 
they  had  spent  with  me.     They  had  been  deeply  awed  and  much 
amused,  and  to  commemorate  the  interview,  they  thought  they 
could   not  do  better  than  to  take  away  with  them  something  to 
remind  them  of  the  occasion ;  but  unfortunately  they  selected  as 
mementos  my  only  knife  and  fork.     I  knew  that  if  I  attempted  to 
get  these  things  back  by  force,  there  would  be  a  general  stampede, 
shots  exchanged  and  blood  shed,  and  that  I  might  lose  some  of  mv 
men,  perhaps,  without  regaining  possession  of  my  property.    Still, 
the  knife  and  fork  were  invaluable  to  me,  and  I  was  not  inclined 
to  see  them  leave  the  station  without  making  one  effort  toward 
their  recovery,  so  I  set  my  wits  to  work  and  the  result  was  a  happy 
idea.     In  my  medicine-chest  there  was  a  bottle  of  citrate  of  mag- 
nesia ;  taking  a  quantity  of  this  harmless-looking  drug  with  me, 
I  walked  slowly  down  to  the  assembled  natives,  accompanied  by 
two  or  three  of  my  men,  and   assuming  a  grave  demeanor    in- 
formed them  that  my  knife  and  fork  had  been  stolen— by  whom  I 
did  not  know  just  then,  but  I  was  determined  to  find  out.     I  then 
went  nearer  to  the  beach,  and  inviting  the  principal  chiefs  of  the 
party  to  come  and  witness  my  power,  I  threw  a  little  magnesia 
into  a  pool  of  still  water  which  effervesced  and  bubbled  up  in  an 
alarming  manner.     "Now,"  I  said,  "your  canoes  are  filled  with 
people  and  merchandise ;  all  your  wealth  is  in  these  canoes,  and 
they  cannot   live  in  rough  water.     They  will  be  swamped,  will 
sink,  and  you  will  lose  all.     You  see  what  I  have  done  in  this  small 
body  of  water.     I  am  going  to  extend  this  commotion  over  all  tlie 
river  from  here  to  your  village.     I  will  make  the  water  so  rough 
that  it  will  swamp  any  craft  that  ventures  on  it,  and  I  am  going 
to  keep  the  water  in  that  condition  until  1  get  back  my  knife  and 
fork!     Now,  I  will  leave  you;  talk  it  over  among  yourselves.     Put 
off  from  shore  if  you  care  to  risk  it.     I  do  not  wish  to  take  your 
lives,  but  still  I  must  have  my  knife  and  fork." 

They  talked  the  matter  over,  and  I  was  pleased  to  find  my  ruse 
successful.  It  was  unnecessary  to  carry  out  my  awful  threat,  for 
before  nightfall  my  knife  and  fork  were  restored. 


^6  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

Every  traveler  to  regions  peopled  by  wild  superstitious  beings 
has  been  able  to  impose  on  their  credulity  in  this  way. 


HIPPOPOTAMUS  TEETH  AND  WILD-CAT  SKIN. 


FETISH-MAX'S  CHARMS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CHARM  DOCTOR. 

Superstitious  beliefs— The   "Nganga's  power— Thi:  order  of  Nkimba— The  roNDUtT  of 
THE  Medicine  Man— Curious  devotions— Charms— Trial  by  poison— Mystic  animals— 

TRANS.MIGRATION  OF  SPIRITS— MPUKE'S  FRIEND,  THE  HIPPO— BARIMU. 

The  native  of  Central  Africa  has  an  inborn  dread  of  evil  spirits ; 
he  believes  that  a  power  unseen  by  mortal  eyes  is  always  present, 
seeking  opportunities  to  injure  mankind ;  his  superstitious  mind 
attributes  to  this  mysterious  and  malignant  influence  all  reverses 
and  disasters  which  he  may  suffer  through  life.  When  the  land 
is  parched  by  drought,  and  the  gardens  bear  no  fruit  or  grain,  a 
Moloki,  or  evil  spirit,  is  blamed  for  the  misfortune,  and  a  battle 
lost  or  an  unsuccessful  chase  is  credited  to  the  same  phantom 
maliciousness.  The  Moloki's  choice  of  hiding-places  is  extremely 
variable.  This  spiritual  malevolence  lies  concealed  in  trees  and 
rocks,  and  seeks  victims  on  the  dark  waters  of  the  Congo,  and  is 
also  supposed  to  usurp  the  bodies  of  men,  beasts,  birds,  and  rep- 
tiles, always  adopting  the  guise  in  which  the  intended  attack  can 
be  most  conveniently  made,  and  the  injury  and  annoyance  most 
easily  inflicted.     The  old  elephant  who  visits  the  plantations  at 


78  IN  SAVAGE  AFEICA. 

night,  and,  out  of  pure  mischief,  tramples  down  the  manioc  fields, 
and  twists  off  the  succulent  banana  trunks,  is  believed  by  the 
savages  to  be  no  ordinary  animal,  but  one  possessed  of  an  evil 
spirit,  which  has  incited  such  bad  behavior;  the  loathsome  croco- 
dile would  be  harmless  were  it  not  prompted  by  the  Moloki  to  kill 
and  eat  people. 

The  African  of  the  interior  can  find  no  note  of  sympathy  in  the 
world  immediately  surrounding  him.     Life  is  to  him  no  free  gift, 
but  rather  something  to  be  dextrously  snatched  from  the  hand  of 
adverse    circumstances.     Everything  in    earth  or    sky    seems    to 
threaten  his  existence.     The  hut  of  the  inland  village  stands  on 
the  confines  of  an  impenetrable  forest,  the  haunt  of  savasfe  beast 
and  venomous  reptile.     The  dweller  on  the  river-bank  pursues  his 
vocation  in  constant  danger.     Let  him  escape  unscathed  all  the 
dangers  incidental  to  his  search  for  mere  subsistence,  let  him  lay 
up  what  is  to  him  wealth,  still  he  can  never  enjoy  either  good  for- 
tune or  health  in  security,  for  one  is  at  the  mercy  of  his  fellow- 
man — the  midnight  slave    raids  of  neighboring    tribes — and    the 
other  is  imperiled  by  fevers,  agues,  and  strange  diseases  which  his 
skill  is  unable  to  cure  or  avert.     The  imagination  of  the  savage 
surrounds  life    with   an    atmosphere  of   awe    and    mystery.     He 
walks  continually  in  fear.     Evil  in  countless  undefined  shapes  is 
lurking  everywhere.     Influences  obnoxious  to  him  lie  concealed  in 
every  object.     Trees,  stones,  herbs,  all  contain  imprisoned  spirits 
which  if  released  by  any  heedless  action  on  his  part,  may  rend 
and  destroy  him.     He  must  be  ever  watchful  to  propitiate  or  con- 
trol the  malevolent  powers  that  menace  him  at  every  turn.    Dl 
luck  may  be  transmitted  to  him  through  objects  animate  or  in- 
animate when  he   is  least  aware.     A  native  will   never  point  at 
another  with  his  finger,  as  the  belief  exists  that  an  evil  influence 
can  be  by  this  means  conveyed  to  another.     It  behooves  him  to 
be  very  careful.  He  fears  when  health  and  fortune  are  favorable 
that  some  chance  action  of  his  may  deprive  him  of  both. 

At  night,  just  before  going  to  bed,  the  chief  will  trace  a  slender 
line  of  ashes  round  his  hut  and  firmly  believe  that  he  has  placed 
a  barrier  which  will  protect  him  and  his,  while  they  sleep,  against 


NATIVE  SUPERSTITIONS.  79 

attacks  of  the  evil  spirit.  Upou  stepping  over  this  in  the  niurninti: 
he  takes  the  precaution  to  trace  on  the  ground  a  small  ring  round 
him ;  in  this  he  stands,  and  uttering  a  devotional  prayer,  asks  that 
the  Moloki,  or  evil  spirit,  may  not  torment  him  during  the  day. 
When  he  is  least  conscious,  he  may  be  offending  some  spirit  with 
power  to  work  him  ill.  He  must  therefore  be  supplied  with  charms 
for  every  season  and  occasion ;  sleeping,  eating,  and  drinking  he 
must  be  protected  from  hostile  influences  by  ceremonies  and  ob- 
servances. The  necessity  for  these  safeguards  has  given  rise  to 
an  elaborate  system  and  has  created  a  sacerdotal  class  called  by 
the  different  Congo  tribes  "Monganga,"'  or  "Xganga  Nkisi,"  (the 
Doctor  of  Charms). 

The  fetish-man  under  any  name  is  the  authority  on  all  matters 
connected  with  the  relations  of  man  to  the  unseen.  He  is  the  exer- 
ciser of  spirits,  the  maker  of  charms,  and  the  prescriber  and  regu- 
lator of  all  ceremonial  rites.  He  can  discover  who  "ate  the  heart" 
of  the  chief  who  died  but  yesterday,  who  it  was  that  caused  the 
canoe  to  upset  and  give  three  lives  to  the  crocodile  and  the  dark 
waters  of  the  Congo,  or  even  who  blighted  the  palm  trees  of  a  vil- 
lage and  dried  up  their  sap,  causing  the  supply  of  malafu,  or  palm 
wine,  to  cease,  or  drove  away  the  rain  from  a  district  and 
withered  its  fields  of  "  nguba"  (ground  nuts).  All  this  is  within  the 
ken  of  the  Nganga  Nkisi,  charm  doctor,  and  he  is  appealed  to  on 
all  these  occasions  to  discover  the  culprit,  by  his  insight  into 
the  spirit  world,  and  hand  him  or  lier  over  to  the  just  chastisement 
of  an  outraged  community.  This  is  the  only  substitute  for 
religion  that  the  African  savage  possesses;  its  tenets  are  vague 
and  unformulated,  for  with  every  tribe  and  every  district  belief 
varies  and  rites  and  ceremonies  are  as  diverse  as  the  fancies  of  the 
fetish-men  who  prescribe  them. 

The  traveler  finds  that  superstitious  customs  wliich  possess 
great  force  on  the  lower  river  gradually  lose  power  over  the 
natives  as  he  penetrates  farther  and  farther  into  the  interior. 

Among  the  Ba-kongo  people  of  the  Lower  Congo  country,  whose 
headquarters  is  at  San  Salvador,  where  resides  their  king,  known 
as  the  "Ntotela"  (Emperor),  or  to  Europeans  as  Dom  Pedro  V..  a 


80  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

title  bestowed  upon  him  by  the  Portuguese,  we  find  many  curious 
examples  of  the  fetish  system.  Prominent  among  these  is  the  cere- 
mony of  the  "Nkimba,"  or  initiation  of  the  boys  and  young  men 
of  the  village  into  the  mysteries  and  rites  of  their  religion. 

Each  village  in  this  region  possesses  its  Nkimba  inclosure, 
generally  a  stockaded  tract  of  perhaps  half  an  acre  in  extent, 
buried  in  a  thick  grove  of  trees  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village.  In- 
side the  inclosure  are  the  huts  of  the  Nganga,  the  fetish-man,  who 
presides  over  its  ceremonies,  and  his  assistants,  as  well  as  of  the 
boys  undergoing  the  course  of  instruction.  What  this  instruction 
is  it  is  hard  to  say,  for  none  save  the  initiated  are  permitted  to 
penetrate  the  precincts  of  the  Nkimba  inclosure,  but  it  includes 
the  learning  of  a  new  language,  so  those  having  passed  through 
the  Nkimba  may  be  able  to  converse  on  matters  relating  to  their 
religious  calling,  in  words  not  understood  by  the  people. 

When  a  boy  arrives  at  the  age  of  twelve  or  fourteen  years  he  is 
generally  induced  to  join  the  Nkimba.  This  is  effected  in  the  fol- 
lowing curious  manner:  On  some  market-day  or  public  assem- 
blage he  falls  down  simulating  sickness  or  a  stupor,  and  is  im- 
mediately surrounded  by  the  Nganga  and  his  assistants,  who  carry 
him  off  to  the  inclosure.  It  is  given  out  that  Luemba  or  Nsaki,  or 
whatever  the  boy's  name  may  be,  is  dead ;  that  he  has  gone  to  the 
spirit  world,  whence  by  and  by  the  Nganga  will  recall  him  to  bring 
him  up  with  the  other  lads  in  the  sacred  inclosure  before  restoring 
him  to  his  friends  under  a  new  name.  No  woman  is  allowed  to  look 
on  the  face  of  one  of  the  Nkimba,  who  daily  parade  through  the 
woods  or  through  the  surrounding  country  singing  a  strange, 
weird  song  to  warn  the  uninitiated  of  their  approach.  The  women 
fly  from  the  sound,  deserting  their  work  in  the  manioc  fields,  and 
sometimes  a  man,  a  stranger  in  the  district,  on  being  encountered 
in  one  of  these  walks  abroad  will  be  severely  beaten  for  his 
temerity  in  standing  to  watch  the  Nkimba  go  by. 

The  bodies  of  the  lads  are  chalked  entirely  white,  and  a  wide 
skirt  of  palm  fronds  or  straight  dry  grass  suspended  from  a  cir- 
cular strip  of  bamboo,  standing  out  from  the  body  above  the  hips, 
hangs  down  to  below  the  knees,  much  resembling  a  short  crino- 


THE  NKIMBA. 


81 


lino.  Food  is  brought  daily  by  tlie  mothers  or  relatives  of  the 
pupils  and  laid  outside  the  inclosure,  whence  it  is  conveyed  inside 
by  one  of  the  Nganga  or  the  older  lads.  For  although  the  women 
and  the  credulous  outsiders  really  believe  in  the  death  and  resi- 
dence among  the  spirits  of  their  male  relatives  who  have  "  died  in 
the  bush"  (/.  e.,  entered  the  Xkimba  inclosure),  they  are 
religiously  instructed  by  the  Ngan- 
gas  to  attend  to  all  the  bodily  wants 
of  the  supposed  inhabitants  of  the 
spirit  world. 

When  a  youth  has  successfully 
mastered  the  new  language,  and  has 
acquitted  himself  satisfactorily^  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Xganga,  expressing 
implicit  belief  in  all  the  strange  doc- 
trines of  fetishism  it  is  thought 
necessary  to  impart  to  him,  it  is 
given  out  by  the  medicine-man  that 
Luemba  or  Nsaki  is  now  fit  to  return 
to  the  world  and  to  his  sorrowing 
relatives.  Accordingly  on  a  certain 
day  he  is  conducted  back  to  his 
village  with  much  ceremony,  re- 
introduced to  his  parents  as  no 
longer  Luemba,  but  as  "Kinkila 
Luemba"   or   "Xehama  Xsaki,"   the 

new  names  being  distinctly  Xkimba  names  adopted  during  the 
period  of  his  residence  in  the  inclosure,  and  he  affects  to  treat 
everything  with  surprise  as  one  come  to  a  new  life  from  another 
world;  to  recognize  no  one,  not  even  his  father  or  mother, 
while  his  relatives  receive  him  as  raised  from  the  dead;  and 
for  several  days  the  new-comer  is  permitted  to  take  anything 
he  fancies  in  the  village,  and  is  treated  with  every  kindness 
until  it  is  supposed  that  he  has  become  accustomed  to  his 
surroundings,  when  he  will  be  allowed  to  shake  down  into 
his  place  in  life,  and  unless  he  determines  to  pursue  the  calling  of 


A  UUY   OF  THE   NKI.MIiA. 


83  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

a  fetish-man  will  again  become  an  ordinary  member  of  society. 
The  duration  of  the  period  of  initiation  varies  from  two  years  in 
some  cases,  and  even  longer,  to  only  a  few  months,  according,  I 
suppose,  as  the  pupil  shows  an  aptitude  for  his  studies  or  not. 
Any  refractory  youngster,  or  one  who  cannot  bring  himself  to  be- 
lieve all  the  Ngangas  declare  to  be  true,  is  beaten  until  he  recog- 
nizes the  error  of  his  ways,  and  accepts  as  strictly  true  every  story 
and  miracle  the  medicine-man  may  relate.  Sometimes  a  sturdy, 
unbelieving  boy  who  cannot  see  that  black  is  white,  or  vice  versa, 
liowever  much  the  Nganga  may  assert  it,  and  his  older  and  wiser 
comrades  share  in  the  assertion,  is  beaten  black  and  blue  before 
he  becomes  convinced  of  the  fact  that  his  eyes  have  deceived  him. 
The  origin  of  this  strange  African  order  of  freemasonry  is  quite 
unknown  among  the  Ba-kongo.  No  white  man  has  yet  been  able 
to  penetrate  the  mysteries  of  the  language  or  of  the  rites  and 
ceremonies  connected  with  it,  but  from  the  following  facts  I 
feel  inclined  to  believe  it  simply  a  perpetuation  in  the  native 
mind,  darkened  by  savagery  and  superstition,  of  the  early 
Catholic  teaching  of  the  Portuguese  fathers  who  followed 
Diego  Cam's  discovery  of  the  Congo,  and  established  themselves 
at  San  Salvador  and  in  the  surrounding  country  on  the  S.  W.  Afri- 
can coast. 

The  Nkimba  is  unknown  beyond  Manyanga  and  Lukunga,  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  coast,  which  were  probably  the  farthest 
limits  reached  in  those  early  days  by  the  priests  in  their  mission- 
ary journeys;  between  these  district  and  San  Salvador  it  in- 
creases in  public  estimation  until  when  the  true  Congo  country  is 
reached — that  within  the  scope  of  Dom  Pedro's  influence — we  find 
the  Nkimba  inclosures  at  almost  every  village.  The  chalking  of 
the  body  white  and  the  wearing  of  a  coarse  dress  of  brown  grass, 
in  imitation  of  the  white-robed  priests  and  the  rude  vestments  of 
the  monks ;  the  penalty  inflicted  on  women  who  venture  to  ap- 
proach or  gaze  upon  the  Nkimba  (white  priests  never  married, 
and  no  woman  could  enter  a  monastery) ;  the  chanting  of  strange 
songs  in  a  new  tongue  and  the  learning  of  a  new  language,  even 
as  the   rites  of  the  Catholic  Church  are  performed  in  a  strange 


THE  FETISH-MAN.  83 

tongue  (Latin)  and  a  novice  entering  a  monastery  would  have  to 
learn  that  language ;  the  giving  of  new  names  as  a  monk  often 
adopts  a  new  cognomen  and  ceases  to  be  Mr.  So-and-so,  but  be- 
comes Brother  Ignatius  or  Father  Hyacinthe;  and  finally  the 
strange  deception  practised  in  pretending  that  the  newly  received 
boy  has  died  and  must  be  raised  again  from  the  dead  and  given 
back  to  life — all  seem  to  point  to  one  of  the  fundamental  doctrines 
of  the  Christian  Church  which  asserts  that  no  man  can  be  saved 
unless  he  be  born  again. 

It  is  only  on  the  Lower  Congo,  where  the  Nkimba  is  found  that 
any  training  in  his  profession  is  undergone  by  the  fetish-man ;  in 
all  other  parts  of  the  Congo  region  the  office  devolves  upon  its 
holder  in  quite  an  accidental  manner ;  the  distinction  is  thrust 
upon  some  native  whose  fortune  has  in  some  way  distinguished 
him  from  his  fellows.  Every  unusual  action,  every  display  of 
skill  or  superiority  is  attributed  to  the  intervention  of  some  super- 
natural power,  and  thus  the  future  wielder  of  charms  or  utterer 
of  predictions  usually  begins  his  priestly  career  as  a  worker  of 
wonders  by  some  lucky  adventure. 

A  young  man  by  showing  progress  in  the  hunting-field,  by  be- 
ing successful  on  the  fishing-grounds  or  brave  in  war,  at  once  be- 
comes the  object  of  a  certain  admiration  in  his  village.  His 
superiority  commands  respect ;  his  steady  aim,  his  lucky  hauls  of 
fish,  and  his  boldness  in  the  fight  are  credited  to  the  agency  of 
some  supernatural  spirit  or  to  some  charm  of  which  he  may  be 
Dossessed.  Such  a  belief  on  the  part  of  the  villagers  is  never  dis- 
credited by  the  fortunate  object  of  it;  on  the  other  hand,  he  takes 
advantage  of  this  credulity  of  his  ignorant  compatriots,  and  in  con- 
sideration of  payment  received  will  pretend  to  impart  his  power 
to  others.  This  is  almost  invariably  the  way  in  which  the  fetish- 
man  receives  his  calling  to  the  office,  and  having  once  secured  the 
estimation  of  his  neighbors,  he  will  start  a  lucrative  business  for 
the  supply  of  charms,  consisting  of  difTorent  herbs,  stones,  pieces 
of  wood,  antelope  horns,  skins  and  feathers,  tied  in  artistic  little 
bundles,  the  possession  of  which  is  supposed  to  yield  to  the  pur- 
chaser the  same  power  over  spirits  as  the  vender  himself  enjoys. 


84  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

Having  once  become  known  as  the  purveyor  of  charms,  he  will 
continually  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  stock  in  trade  of  his 
calling  by  the  aid  of  a  fertile  imagination.  Besides  charms  of  his 
own  manufacture  he  will  obtain  others  from  well-known  fetish- 
men  in  distant  villages,  and  thus  after  a  time  he  acquires  a  large 
store  of  charms  for  all  phases  of  life. 

Africans  who  under  my  tuition  became  skilful  rifle  shots,  could 
dispose  of  empty  cartridges  at  a  good  price  to  their  weak-minded 
fellow-men,  who  wore  the  little  brass  shells  around  their  necks  as 
charms,  and  firmly  believed  that  such  a  possession  empowered 
them  to  shoot  with  unerring  aim. 

Established  in  reputation,  the  efforts  of  the  fetish-man  are  next 
directed  toward  the  acquirement  of  a  demeanor  calculated  to  im- 
press his  clients  with  a  sense  of  awe;  he  aims  at  assuming  an  ap- 
pearance at  once  grave  and  mysterious ;  he  seldom  speaks  unless 
professionally,  and  then  always  in  a  gruff,  husky  tone.  He  cul- 
tivates a  meditative  look,  and  seems  as  if  he  were  the  victim  of 
great  mental  anxiety.  At  home  he  keeps  himself  very  select,  and 
occupies  his  time  principally  among  his  charms.  There  is  gener- 
ally some  sign  of  his  calling  just  outside  his  hut,  taking  the  form, 
as  a  rule,  of  an  earthen  vessel,  out  of  the  neck  of  which  sprout 
long  feathers — the  pot  being  colored  with  red,  white,  and  yellow 
chalks,  and  the  orange-like  tint  derived  from  chewed  betel-nut, 
the  epectoration  of  which  substance  is  supposed  to  have  a  very 
pacifying  influence  upon  the  spiritual  evil-doer. 

An  old  medicine  man  of  Lukolela,  whom  I  discovered  deliber- 
ately spitting  chewed  betel-nut  on  the  door  of  my  house,  displayed 
indignant  surprise  when  I  assured  him  in  the  most  forcible  lan- 
guage at  my  command  that  I  myself  could  take  all  the  necessary 
precautions  against  any  attacks  from  evil  spirits. 

Sometimes  the  fetish-man's  gesticulations  will  be  directed  to  a 
carved  image  or  some  exaggerated  form  of  charm,  but  they  do  not 
as  a  rule  display  much  respect  for  their  idols,  for  if  good  fortune 
does  not  attend  their  use,  they  are  destroyed.  Suspended  from 
the  rafters  in  the  interior  of  his  hut  are  little  parcels  of  mystic 
character,  smoked  grimy  by  the  constant  fires  these  people  main- 


FETISH-MAN'S  CHARMS. 


85 


tain  in  their  dwellings.  And  outside,  over  the  door,  the  same  mys- 
terious character  of  ornamentation  proclaims  to  all,  the  occupant's 
pretensions  to  sorcery. 

When  abroad  the  fetish-man  is  always  a  conspicuous  figure  in 
a  village.  He  wears  a  tall  hat  of  animal  skin;  around  his  neck 
hang  suspended  by  strings  a  few  small  specimens  of  his  wares, 
and  slung  around  his  shoulders  are  little  parcels  of  charms,  into 
which  are  stuck  birds'  feathers.  Metal  rings,  to  which  mysterious 
little  packages  are  attached,  clash  and  clang  as  he  walks,  serving. 


CONGO   IlJOLS. 


together  with  a  liberal  supply  of  iron  bells  fastened  lo  his  person, 
to  announce  the  Nganga's  presence;  and,  as  if  his  body  did  not 
offer  a  sufficient  surface  to  display  all  his  magical  outfit,  he  car- 
ries, slung  over  his  left  shoulder  in  a  woven  pocket,  a  load  of 
wonder-working  material.  A  peep  into  a  fetish-man's  sack  dis- 
closes a  curious  assortment  of  preventives — eagles'  claws  and 
feathers,  fishbones,  antelope  horns,  leopard  teeth,  tails  and  heads 
of  snakes,  flint-stones,  hairs  of  the  elephant's  tail,  perforated 
stones,  different  colored  chalks,  eccentric  sliajied  roots,  various 
herbs,  etc.  There  are  sufficient  reasons  for  his  carrying  these 
with  him — if  he  left  them  in  his  village  some  one  might  steal  them, 
and  thus  deprive  him  of  his  cherished  power,  and  again,  jirovided 


86  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

as  he  is,  he  can  administer  at  a  moment's  notice  to  sufferings 
humanity  some  devil-proof  mixture. 

The  flight  of  the  poisonous  arrow,  the  rush  of  the  maddened 
buffalo,  or  the  venomous  bite  of  the  adder  can  be  averted  by  the 
purchase  of  these  charms,  and  the  troubled  waters  of  the  Congo 
can  be  crossed  in  safety  by  the  fisherman's  frail  craft.  The 
Moloki,  or  evil  spirit,  ever  ready  to  pounce  upon  humanity,  is 
checked  by  the  power  of  the  Nganga,  and  halts  at  his  whistle 
through  an  antelope's  horn,  or  the  waving  of  a  bunch  of  feathers. 

The  fetish-man  finds  his  best  customers  among  those  whom 
wealth  and  success  have  rendered  objects  for  the  envy  and  spite 
of  their  covetous  neighbors.  A  chief  whose  fortunate  trading  ven- 
tures have  enabled  him  to  accumulate  wealth  of  slaves  and  ivory 
becomes  a  devotee  to  charm  usage ;  the  fetish-man  is  continually 
by  his  side,  and  new  charms  are  in  contant  requisition  to  ward  off 
real  and  imaginary  dangers  which  the  uneasy  possessor  believes 
threaten  his  person  and  property. 

I  was  much  struck  with  the  elaborate  and  grotesque  rites 
prescribed  by  the  Nganga  to  some  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
district  as  a  necessary  preliminary  to  eating  and  drinking.  I  find 
the  following  notes  in  a  rough  diary  I  kept  at  that  time. 

June,  1884. — Old  luka,  chief  of  Irebu,  put  into  my  beach  to-day, 
on  his  way  down  river  on  a  trading  expedition.  I  gave  him  some 
malafu  (palm  wine),  the  drinking  of  which  necessitated  the  most 
extensive  precautionary  preparations  that  I  have  as  yet  noticed. 
The  old  chief  placed  a  small  leaf  between  his  lips,  then  fastened 
others  rather  longer  under  his  shoulder-blades  and  on  his  chest, 
keeping  them  in  place  by  means  of  a  string  tied  tightly  around 
the  body ;  a  slave  guarding  the  pot  containing  the  beverage  also 
had  a  leaf  in  his  mouth,  as  did  another  who  held  the  cup  from 
which  the  chief  was  to  drink ;  two  more  slaves  provided  a  musical 
accompaniment  to  the  ceremony  by  clanking  small  bars  of  iron : 
one  of  the  wives  of  the  chief  clasped  him  round  the  chest  from  be- 
hind, while  four  slaves  knelt  down  in  front  of  him  and  beat  their 
closed  fists  on  their  knees.  When  everything  was  ready,  all  shut 
their  eyes,  except   the  men  in  charge  of   the  pot  and   cup,  who 


OLD  lUKA'S  DRINKING  CEREMONIES. 


87 


required  the  use  of  these  organs  so  as  not  to  spill  the  precious 
liquor.  The  charm  doctor,  who  had  advised  these  observances 
as  a  safeguard  against  assault  from  evil  influences,  had  also  en- 
joined luka  from  taking  the  cup  from  his  lips  until  he  had  drained 
the  last  drop.  My  guest  was  a  spare-built  little  man,  but  the  pro- 
digious quantity  of  malafu  which  he  imbibed  on  this  occasion 
astonished  me,  and  I  concluded  that  he  dispensed  with  the  trouble 
of  too  frequently  conducting  the  elaborate   details  of  this  cere- 


FETISU  BEVOTIONS  BEFUUE  UUINKINO. 


niony  by  drinking  enough  at  one  sitting  to  last  him  several  days. 
It  is  noticable  that  rites  of  the  kind  prescribed  by  the  fetish-men 
to  luka  are  only  used  preparatory  to  a  draught  of  palm  or  other 
concocted  beverages,  and  are  omitted  when  drinking  water  at  a 
stream  or  spring.  The  reason  is  that  i)oison  plays  a  prominent 
part  in  the  drama  of  savage  life.  Often  chieftains  with  whom  I 
was  not  well  acquainted  upon  giving  me  palm  wim^  have  tliem- 
selves  first  drunk  some  of  the  beverage,  as  a  j)roof  that  it  con- 
tained no  deadlv  herbs.  These  observances  imposed  bv  the 
wielder  of  charms  are  most  earnestlv  adhered  to.  A  native,  al- 
though  he  has  a  great  weakness  for  palm  wine  «>r  other  strong 
drink,  will  deny  himself  the  indulgence  if  he  is  not  prepared  to 


88  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

carry  out  the  ceremony  ordered  by  the  Nganga.  As  the  fatal 
draughts  are  always  prepared  by  the  Nganga,  and  as  he  is  also  the 
only  person  able  to  furnish  antidotes  to  his  own  poisons,  he  reaps 
much  benefit  from  this  branch  of  the  business.  It  enables  him  to 
command  a  ready  sale  for  any  charms  he  may  wish  to  force  on  the 
market,  and  is  an  excellent  means  of  collecting  back  payments 
and  securing  further  custom.  Any  trader  who  succeeds  in  mass- 
ing together  his  little  pile  of  cloth,  beads,  trinkets,  etc.,  thereby 
excites  the  jealousy  of  his  fellow-men,  and  if  his  fees  are  not  liberal 
he  may  one  day  find  himself  suddenly  bound  hand  and  foot  in  the 
merciless  clutches  of  the  fetish-man,  who  will  trump  up  some 
charge  against  him  of  having  exercised  an  evil  influence,  or  of 
causing  the  death  of  some  villager  who  has  lately  died. 

It  is  also  b}^  means  of  poisons  that  the  Nganga  pretends  to  dis- 
cern the  innocent  from  the  guilty  when  natives  accused  of  crimes 
are  brought  before  him  for  sentence.  A  villager  charged  with 
any  breach  against  tribal  laws  has  often  to  prove  his  innocence 
by  undergoing  the  poison  test.  "  Mbundu,"  or  "  Nkasa,"  is  an  herbal 
poison  composed  of  the  bark  of  a  tree  mixed  with  water.  The 
effect  of  imbibing  this  concoction  depends  upon  the  strength  of 
the  preparation ;  with  l)ut  little  water  it  is  deadly,  but  it  may  be 
diluted  until  its  effect  is  almost  harmless.  The  accused  is  com- 
pelled to  sit  down,  and  then  the  Nganga  administers  the  prepara- 
tion to  the  accused,  who,  should  he  be  able  to  vomit  the  nauseous 
mixture,  proves  his  innocence  of  any  crime  of  which  he  is  ac- 
cused. But  too  often  the  poison  has  an  awful  effect.  The  victim 
falls  down,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  the  limbs  become  rigid,  the  eyes 
protrude,  and  if  death  ensues,  the  guilt  of  the  poor  unfortunate  is 
held  as  clearly  proved,  and  the  distorted  body  of  the  victim  is 
pierced  through  and  through  with  the  spears  of  his  accusers.  The 
fetish-man,  whose  duty  it  is  to  prepare  the  test,  regulates  the 
strength  of  the  poison  according  to  the  wish  of  the  majority.  It 
may  be  that  the  accused  is  popular  in  his  village ;  in  that  case  the 
Nganga  will  take  care  that  the  mbundu  is  not  too  strong.  The 
natives  themselves  jilace  great  faith  in  this  mode  of  trial.  The 
majority  of  them  firmly  believe  that  their  charm  doctor's  super- 


THE  RAIX  MAKERS.  89 

natural  power  enables  him  to  read  tlie  conscience  of  others,  and 
culprits  will  often  give  themselves  up  when  he  makes  preparation 
to  discover  the  offenders  as  a  declaration  of  guilt  on  the  part  of 
the  accusetl,  renders  the  poison  test  unnecessary. 

Men  of  influence,  when  required  to  prove  their  innocence  by  the 
poison  test,  do  not,  as  a  rule,  risk  their  own  lives;  they  detail  a 
slave  to  drink  the  mbundu  for  them  and  their  innocence  or  guilt 
is  decided  by  the  effect  of  the  poison  on  their  representative. 

Besides  the  power  that  he  exercises  over  the  life  and  death  of 
his  followers,  the  Nganga  is  also  credited  with  a  controllin<j  in- 
fluence over  the  elements.  Winds  and  waters  obey  only  the  wav- 
ing of  his  charm  or  the  whistle  through  his  magic  antelope  horn. 
Tropical  storms  give  notice  of  their  beginning  and  cessation,  so 
that  the  fetish-man  is  easily  able  to  time  his  predictions  of  change 
without  much  fear  of  startling  contradictions.  If  rain  is  desired 
by  the  villagers  for  their  crops  he  sets  to  work  with  his  charms 
preparing  for  the  object  in  view,  but  he  will  not  be  quite  ready 
until  a  distant  roll  of  thunder  gives  him  notice  that  a  storm  is 
nigh ;  then,  assuming  all  the  gravity  which  he  can  muster,  sur- 
rounded by  his  charms,  he  boldly  commands  the  rain  to  fall,  and 
when  the  storm,  seen  in  the  distance,  breaks,  it  is  regarded  as  a 
triumphant  indication  of  his  supernatural  authority. 

The  credulous  villagers  are  awed  into  profound  respect  and  .sub- 
mission as  they  see  their  parched  soil  moistened  by  rain,  which 
falls  to  the  bidding  of  old  Ncossi,  their  medicine  man,  who  stands 
with  upraised  arms  in  the  village  square  and  shouts  to  the 
heavens,  "Tu-ku-linga  mvula"  ("we  want  rain"),  and  very  soon 
a  storm  arrives  in  response  to  his  invocation. 

When  I  was  at  Lukolela  the  river  during  one  wet  season  re- 
mained in  a  swollen  condition  far  beyond  its  usual  duration. 
Upon  my  asking  the  natives  the  cause,  they  accounted  for  it  by 
telling  me  that  an  up-river  charm  doctor,  who  liad  lieen  in  the 
habit  of  controlling  the  rise  and  full  of  all  the  Congo,  liad 
recently  died,  and  at  ])resent  there  \\as  no  one  sufficiently  skilled 
to  take  his  place,  and  regulate  the  seasonable  rise  and  fall  of  tlie 
river. 


i»() 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


Superstitions  of  all  kinds  are  so  rife  among  these  people  that 
the  Nganga  has  a  fruitful  field  to  AVork  in.  He  has  merely  to 
direct  current  beliefs  in  the  strange  and  wonderful  so  that  they 
may  in  some  way  tend  to  increase  his  influence  over  the  credu- 


"TU-KU-LINGA    MVULA"   ("WE  WANT  KAIN"). 

lous.  Every  unaccountable  effect  is  attributed  to  some  super- 
stitious cause,  the  workings  of  which  are  known  only  to  him. 
Every  familiar  object  of  their  daily  life  is  touched  with  some 
curious  fancy,  and  every  trivial  action  is  regulated  by  a  reference 
to  unseen  spirits  who  are  unceasingly  watching  an  opportunity 
to  hurt  or  annoy  mankind. 


THE  DEATH  CALL.  91 

As  all  natives  are  either  hunters  or  fishermen,  ci  number  of 
quaint  beliefs  have  naturally  attached  themselves  to  birds,  beasts, 
and  fishes.  Some  birds  are  of  ill,  others  of  good,  omen.  Some 
beasts  are  friendly  to  man.  and  others  seek  only  to  do  him  harm. 

The  mournful  hooting  of  the  owl,  heard  at  midnight  by  the  vil- 
lager, is  a  message  that  death  is  stealing  silently  througli  the  huts 
"waiting  to  select  a  victim,  and  all  who  hear  the  call  will  hasten  to 
the  neighboring  wood  and  drive  the  messenger  of  ill  tidings  away 
with  sticks  and  stones. 

There  is  a  belief,  common  to  all  natives  of  the  Upper  Congo 
regions,  which  ascribes  to  certain  possessors  of  evil  spirits  ability 
to  assume  at  will  the  guise  of  an  animal,  reassuming  the  human 
form  whenever  they  wish  to  do  so.  The  incident  that  follows  will 
serve  as  an  illustration  of  the  strength  of  this  conviction. 

As  I  had  lost  several  goats  from  the  frequent  nocturnal  raids 
made  on  the  station  by  a  leopard,  I  determined  to  try  to  rid  the 
district  of  this  wily  robber.  For  several  nights  I  watched,  tying 
upas  a  bait  a  young  goat  which  announced  the  presence  of  its  own 
savory  body  by  ill-advised  bleatings  from  sunset  to  dawn.  But 
the  leopard  did  not  return  to  reward  my  vigilance.  It  happened, 
however,  that  as  soon  as  I  omitced  my  watch  the  tracks  around 
the  station  showed  that  the  beast  had  renewed  his  visits.  The 
natives  then  explained  to  me  that  this  was  no  ordinary  leopard, 
but  was  an  evil  spirit  which  had  assumed  the  shape  of  that  animal, 
Ngoi  Moloki  ("evil-spirited  leopard"),  and  that  it  was  useless  to 
watch  for  him,  as  the  evil  si)irit  which  possessed  the  beast  at 
night  was  perhaps  visiting  my  station  in  human  form  each  day, 
learning  my  intentions,  and  timing  his  raids  accordingly.  They 
said,  "When  you  next  intend  waiting  up  for  the  leopard  be  care- 
ful to  keep  the  matter  a  secret ;  tell  no  one,  and  then  perhaps,  be- 
ing unwarned,  the  animal  may  venture  out." 

There  are  on  some  reaches  of  the  river  fetish  crocodiles  which 
are  credited  with  the  power  to  change  their  scales  to  the  black 
skin  and  curly  wool  of  the  African.  It  is  firmly  held  by  the  vil- 
lagers that  many  members  of  the  community  who  have  disap- 
peared suddenly  from  their  homes  and  families  ha"^'e  been  lured 


93  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

to  the  river  by  a  stranger,  who  beguiled  them  with  fair  promises 
of  beads  and  cloth,  and  who,  when  the  water's  edge  was  gained, 
changed  instantly  to  a  crocodile  and  disappeared  in  the  oozy 
mud,  dragging  his  deluded  victim  with  him.  Crocodiles  are  also, 
for  what  reason  I  know  not,  considered  quite  generous  and  social  in 
their  natures.  Natives  have  frequently  assured  me  that  when  a 
crocodile  is  fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  human  being,  it  will  in- 
vite all  the  crocodiles  along  the  banks  to  share  in  the  meal,  and 
my  men  have  pointed  out  places  where  such  banquets  have  been 
held. 

I  was  assured  that  the  possessor  of  an  evil  spirit  could  assume 
at  will  any  outward  appearance  which  he  chose,  and  could  rapidly 
change  his  guise  in  order  to  escape  detection  or  further  his  aims. 
I  was  speaking  to  my  black  hunting  friend,  Bongo  Nsanda,  one 
day  upon  this  subject.  The  African  illustrated  the  versatility 
of  the  malevolent  influence  by  remarking,  "Perhaps  when  the 
sun  is  overhead  to-day  you  may  be  drinking  palm  wine  with 
a  man,  unconscious  that  he  is  possessed  of  an  evil  spirit,  in 
the  evening  you  hear  the  cry  of  ISkole!  Nkole!  (crocodile!  croco- 
dile!), and  you  know  that  one  of  those  monsters,  lurking  in  the 
muddy  waters  near  the  river  bank,  has  grabbed  a  poor  victim  who 
had  come  to  fill  a  water  jar.  At  night  you  are  wakened  from 
your  sleep  by  the  alarmed  cackling  in  your  hen-house,  and  you  will 
find  that  your  stock  of  poultry  has  been  sadly  decreased  by  a  visit 
from  a  muntula  (bush  cat).  Now,  Makula,  the  man  with  whom 
you  drank  palm  wine,  the  crocodile  who  snatched  an  unwary  vil- 
lager from  the  river  bank,  and  the  stealthy  little  robber  of  your 
hens  are  one  and  the  same  individual,  possessed  of  an  evil  spirit." 

This  transmigration  of .  spirits  is  supposed  to  be  not  altogether 
without  its  advantages  to  some  of  the  powerful  head  men,  who 
are  believed  to  have  in  their  service  crocodiles,  hippopotami,  and 
other  dangerous  animals  that  once  were  men,  and  to  whom  death 
has  brought  strange  changes. 

Here  at  Lukolela,  my  station  was  built  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  banks  of  the  Congo,  and  I  had  ever  before  me  an  ex- 
tensive view  of  the  river. 


MPUKE'S  HIPPOPOTAMUS.  i>3 

Out  in  midstream,  about  a  thouoaud  yards  from  my  house,  was 
a  small  island  covered  with  thick  tropical  vegetation.  At  the  up- 
per end  of  this  an  old  hippopotamus  had  taken  up  his  quarters, 
and  at  midday  would  lie  basking  in  the  sun  in  the  shallow  waters 
round  it. 

My  little  bhxck  servant,  Mabruki,  who  was  a  most  enthusiastic 
sportsman,  was  delighted  when  he  could  bring  me  the  welcome 
news  that  he  had  seen  some  animal  or  bird  that  I  might  shoot, 
and  he  would  disturb  me  at  most  untimely  hours  with  such  in- 
formation. Sometimes,  when  I  had  been  hunting  all  the  morning, 
I  would  lie  down  in  the  heat  of  the  day  for  a  couple  of  hours,  and 
often  was  rudely  awakened  by  this  youngster  tugging  away  at 
me  and  startling  me  out  of  my  sleep  in  a  most  unceremonious 
manner.  He  would  tell  me  that  there  was  an  old  monkey  in 
some  of  the  neighboring  trees,  or  that  he  could  hear  the  call  of  a 
guinea  fowl;  this  information  delivered,  he  would  hurry  off  to 
prepare  gun  and  ammunition.  The  sharp  ej'es  of  tliis  boy  first 
saw  the  hippopotamus,  and  he  imparted  tlie  news  to  me  while 
waking  me  out  of  my  sleep.  It  is  not  usual  in  hunting  even  big 
game  to  fire  at  such  a  distance  as  a  thousand  yards,  but  I  fired 
just  a  few  shots  to  startle  the  unwieldy  brute  with  the  splash  of 
the  bullets  falling  close  by  him. 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  old  Mpuke  paid  me  a  visit,  and 
in  a  very  grave  and  ceremonious  little  speech  informed  me  that 
that  particular  hippopotamus  was  a  friend  of  his.  He  said :  "  That 
hippopotamus  was  originally  a  man,  who  died  and  assumed  the 
shape  of  this  animal.  It  is  useless  for  you  to  try  to  shoot  him,  be- 
cause he  has  supernatural  power  and  is  bullet-proof.  That  hippo- 
potamus accompanies  me  on  all  my  trading  expeditions,  and  is 
generally  of  very  great  use  to  me.  When  I  go  away  in  my  canoes 
the  animal  follows  me,  swimming  behind  at  a  short  distance  pro- 
tecting me  against  all  enemies,  whether  they  are  men  or  other 
hippopotami,  and  he  will  upset  the  canoes  of  nativt>s  wlio  are  un- 
friendly to  me." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  .soon  after  my  arrival  at  Lukolela, 
old  :Mpuke,  chief  of  :\Iakunja,  had   expressed  a  great    desire  to 


94  IN' SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

decorate  his  hut  with  my  skull,  although  in  attempting  to 
materialize  this  inclination  he  and  his  had  experienced  the  deadly 
effect  of  the  white  man's  rifles.  But  since  that  unfortunate  affair 
we  had  been  good  friends,  and  were  in  the  ha^it  of  exchanging 
presents. 

I  was  unwilling  to  offend  the  old  fellow  unnecessarily,  but  he 
seemed  quite  confident  of  the  invulnerability  of  his  pet  hippo,  so 
I  decided  to  test  my  long  Martini  rifle  against  the  animal's 
charmed  body. 

"Do  you  really  think  that  I  am  unable  to  kill  the  beast,  Mpuke?" 
I  asked. 

The  old  chief  replied  with  the  emphasis  of  solemn  conviction, 
«Ido." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "have  you  any  objection  to  my  trying?" 

"No,  he  had  no  objection,"  he  answered,  intones  which  sug- 
gested regret  that  good  powder  and  shot  should  be  wasted  in  try- 
ing to  prove  that  which  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  dis- 
trict knew  to  be  a  fact. 

I  decided  to  try  the  experiment.  I  sent  around  into  the  neigh- 
boring villages  that  evening  and  informed  them  of  the  conversa- 
tion I  had  had  with  Mpuke  concerning  his  strange  friend,  and  an- 
nounced my  intention  of  proceeding  the  next  morning  to  put  the 
matter  to  the  test. 

The  natives  were  naturally  very  curious  as  to  what  would  be 
the  result,  and  at  the  very  earliest  streaks  of  dawn  large  canoes 
full  of  people  made  their  appearance  on  my  beach.  About  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  I  manned  my  canoe  and  paddled  across  to 
the  island,  followed  at  a  respectful  distance  by  the  canoes  of  the 
neighborhood,  propelled  with  muffled  oars,  all  the  crews  main- 
taining perfect  silence. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  island  I  ran  my  canoe  ashore  just  below 
the  shallows,  and  crept  noiselessly  through  the  forest  until  I  ar- 
rived at  the  edge.  I  selected  a  position  whence  I  had  a  good  view 
of  old  Mpuke's  devil-possessed  friend,  the  hippopotamus.  In  shoot- 
ing this  game  it  is  necessary  to  be  a  good  shot,  because  although  this 
huge  animal  is  easy  to  hit,  unless  you  strike  fair  on  some  vulner- 


AN  ATHLETIC  GHOST.  l>r. 

able  spot,  you  are  simply  cruelly  and  uimecessarily  woundiug  it. 
The  proper  place  to  aim  at  is  in  the  forehead,  three  inches  above 
a  line  drawn  between  the  two  eyes;  or  in  the  ear,  in  the  eye,  or 
between  these  two  organs.     I  had  crept  so  carefully  to  my  posi- 
tion that  the  hippopotamus  was  unconscious  of  my   presence.     1 
realized  tliat  my  reputation  was  most  seriously  at  stake,  and    1 
wailed  patiently  until  the  animal  presented  a  good  mark.     Then 
I  raised  my  Martini  rifle  and  fired,  hitting  him  squarely  in  tlie 
forehead.     After  three  or  four  spasmodic  kicks  in  the  air  he  sank 
to  the  bottom,  and  the  waters  became  still.     That  evening  the 
waters  around  the  sand  bank  were  undisturbed,  and  the  smell  of 
boiling  and  roasting  hippopotamus  meat  pervaded  the  whole  dis- 
trict of  Lukolela.   The  enemies  of  Mpuke  were  now  able  to  launch 
their  canoes  and  cross  the  river  in  safety.     I  increased  my  reputa- 
tion as  a  successful  hunter  of  big  game,  and  was  generally  ac- 
knowledged as  a  very  useful  member  of  society,  who  was  able  by 
the  single  crack  of  a  rifle  to  silence  the  angry  plunging  of  a  fierce 
animal,  and  transform  the  dangerous  monster  into  juicy  steaks. 

Moreover,  I  scored  a  telling  point  against  the  superstitious  doc- 
trines of  the  charm  doctor. 

During  the  earlier  part  of  my  residence  at  Lukolela,  I  hail 
heard  the  word  "  Barimu"  mentioned  several  times  in  connection 
with  myself.  I  afterward  discovered  that  it  meant  a  ghost;  it 
was  suggested  that  I  was  originally  an  African,  and  had  died  and 
returned  to  earth  with  a  white  skin. 

Having  learned  the  meaning  of  the  word,  I  was  not  much 
pleased  that  such  an  impression  should  be  held  concerning  me.  I 
could  at  least  prove  that  I  was  a  ghostly  being  of  unusual  sub- 
stance, so  one  day  when  the  medicine  man,  Muntula,  hinted,  in 
my  hearing,  that  I  was  a  "barimu,"  I  resented  the  expression  by 
favoring  the  old  gentleman  with  a  little  of  the  athletic  ability 
which  I  had  acquired  at  foot-ball,  and  I  am  sure  after  this  little 
incident  my  shoes  would  have  been  eagerly  ))urchased  at  a  good 
price,  and  used  as  powerful  charms. 

Some  time  after  this  occurrence,  old  Muntuhi  was  called  upon 
bv  the  family  of  a  young  hunter,  who  had  been  killed  by  an  ele- 


96 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


phant,  to  determine  whether  the  beast  had  been  bewitched  by 
some  enemy,  or  if  his  death  was  in  accordance  with  the  will  of 
Njakumba  (The  Great  Spirit.)  In  the  former  case  Muntula  would 
have  selected  some  victim  and  subjected  him  to  the  poison  test, 
but,  knowing  that  I  would  promptly  interfere  with  any  such  pro- 
ceeding, the  old  fellow,  after  going  through  a  long  ceremony  con- 
sisting of  a  wierd  midnight  dance  about  the  village  fire  accom- 
panied by  monotonous  chanting  and  incantations,  proclaimed  to 
the  surviving  relatives  that  Luenga's  death  had  been  ordained 
by  Njakumba  and  was  not  due  to  any  malicious  influence. 


SPKAKS  AND    Pl.AIlED    KaTTAN  SHIELD 


CONGO  PIPES. 


CHAPTER  V. 

AMONGST  THE  BIG  GAME. 
African  jungles— Traps  axd  trappkrs— Bongo  Nsanda— Congo  "Bill  of  Fare  "—Tobacco— 

RKTUKN     of     the     AVAR     CANOES— BtrKIAL     CeKEMON Y— NATIVE     ORCHESTRA— ARRIVAL    OF 

Keys— Buffalo  hunting — A  sad  kisaster. 

^ly  presence  and  the  work  I  was  doing  attracted  dusky  visitors 
from  villages  for  miles  around  Lnkolela.  The  station  was  crowded 
all  day  with  strangers  who  came  to  investigate  everything,  ask 
innumerable  questions,  and  impede  the  work  in  progress  by  ex- 
amining tools  and  workmanshij)  until  their  curiosity  regarding 
them  was  satisfied.  To  avoid  the  wearying  task  of  inces.santly 
answering  the  simple  yet  puzzling  questions  of  child-like  ignor- 
ance, and  to  escape  from  all  the  noise  and  tumult  of  strange  voices 
round  my  house,  I  would  often  stroll  away  into  the  forest,  which 
covered  all  the  country  to  the  south  of  my  station,  ^fy  servant, 
]\[abruki,  a  bright  little  fellow  about  ten  years  old.  was  my  oidy 
companion  on  these  occasions;  he  would  follow  close  at  my  heels, 
carrying  my  cartridge-belt  slung  across  his  shoulder. 


98  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA, 

I  always  took  a  gun  with  me  on  these  excursions,  as  birds 
and  small  game  were  very  plentiful,  and  a  brace  or  two  of 
pigeons  or  guinea  fowl  would  often  repay  my  forest  tramp. 

But  the  great  forest  itself,  with  its  undisturbed  solitudes  and  its 
dim  green  recesses,  always  brought  such  relief  and  quiet  restful- 
ness  to  me,  when  wearied  and  fagged  in  mind  and  body,  that  I 
needed  no  other  excuse  for  my  aimless  wanderings.  All  sounds  of 
voices  or  work  died  away,  and  we  left  all  traces  of  human  life  on 
the  verge  of  the  woods.  We  had  to  make  our  way  as  best  we 
could,  pushing  aside  or  cutting  away  the  tangled  mass  of  brush- 
wood undergrowth  that  spread  thickly  round  the  roots  of  the  lofty 
trees  of  teak  and  mahogany;  and  overhead  luxuriant  creepers 
trailed  from  branch  to  branch,  or  hung  in  great  bunches  from  the 
topmost  boughs,  almost  shutting  out  the  light  of  day  and  the  blue 
noonday  sky,  and  monster  orchids,  strangely  shaped,  and  varied 
in  their  coloring,  clung  in  brilliant  clusters  to  the  branches  over- 
head. 

As  we  forced  our  way  still  deeper  into  the  heart  of  the  forest, 
the  gloom  and  stillness  increased,  and  we  crossed  many  a  hidden 
glade  known  only  to  the  hunter,  where  the  death-like  silence  was 
unbroken  save  for  the  cry  of  savage  beast  or  call  of  passing  bird. 

These  woods  abounded  in  all  kinds  of  game.  Here  the  elephant 
had  made  a  path  for  himself,  uprooting  and  flinging  to  the  ground 
the  trees  that  barred  his  way,  plowing  through  matted  under- 
growth, snapping  vine  and  twig,  and  crushing  down  the  slender 
spear-grass  beneath  his  ponderous  foot,  leaving  behind  him  a 
broad  trail  of  wrecked  tree  and  shrub.  Numberless  herds  of  buf- 
falo, filing  down  to  the  river  for  their  morning  drink,  had  w'orn 
deeply  furrowed  tracks  in  the  loamy  soil ;  and  the  broken  ground 
beneath  the  spreading  wild-plum  tree  told  of  the  frequent  visits 
of  the  bush-pig  in  search  of  fallen  fruits.  Here  and  there  were 
seen  faint  imprints  of  the  stealthy  leopard,  and  the  delicate  im- 
pression of  the  antelope's  hoof. 

Troops  of  monkeys  of  all  sizes  set  the  tree-tops  swinging  as  they 
scrambled  from  bough  to  bough  searching  through  the  wood  for 
the  acid  "litobe"  (fruit  of  the  India-rubber  vine). 


ELEPHANT  TRAPS.  99 

Birds  of  gaudy  plumage  flew  across  our  path,  and  curiously 
painted  butterflies  floated  languidly  in  the  air. 

The  natives  of  Central  Africa  are  all  keen  hunters,  they  do  not 
track  the  savage  beasts  for  sport,  but  in  search  of  food,  and  studi- 
ous observation  has  taught  them  many  ingenious  devices  in  traps 
and  snares. 

To  the  African  palate  roast  monkey  is  a  great  delicacy,  but  this 
animal  is  gifted  -with  a  degree  of  intelligence  which  the  word  in- 
stinct hardly  expresses.  The  trap  into  which  he  is  enticed  must 
be  very  artfully  constructed,  and  the  bait  of  the  most  inviting 
kind,  before  he  is  successfully  deceived. 

The  following  method  is  successfully  employed.  A  hole  in  a  tree 
near  some  spot  frequented  by  these  animals  is  found  and  a  noose 
is  cunningly  concealed  with  small  branches  so  as  to  encircle  the 
mouth  of  the  cavity;  a  cord  attached  to  this  noose  leads  down  to 
the  place  that  the  hunter  has  selected  as  a  hiding-place;  some 
palm-nuts  or  other  fruits  are  then  placed  in  the  hole;  and  when 
the  monkey,  in  order  to  obtain  them,  thrusts  in  an  arm,  the  cord 
is  pulled,  and  the  animal  is  held  firmly  by  the  noose  until  dis- 
patched by  spear  or  arrow. 

Another  favorite  mode  of  hunting  monkeys  is  by  a  crowd  of 
natives  surrounding  a  troop  of  these  animals  on  three  sides,  and 
then,  with  sticks  and  stones,  driving  them  until  they  arrive  at  the 
edge  of  the  forest,  when  the  poor,  frightened  creatures,  in  en- 
deavoring to  escape  from  their  pursuers,  jump  to  the  ground, 
where  they  are  stabbed  or  netted  before  they  can  get  away. 

The  African  has  a  great  respect  for  the  monkey's  cunning,  and 
will  chalk  his  face  to  resemble  the  coloring  of  that  animal "s.  and 
believes  by  so  doing  he  becomes  possessed  of  some  of  the  monkey's 
artfulness. 

The  buffalo,  hippopotamus,  and  elephant  are  not  safe  from  the 
snare  of  the  African  hunter.  Pitfalls  are  dug,  twenty  feet  deep, 
and  covered  bo  cunningly  with  small  sticks  and  leaves  that  the 
rogue-elephant,  or  wandering  l)uffalo,  roaming  tlirough  the  forest, 
breaks  through  the  fragile  covering,  and  falls  headlong  upon  the 
sharpened  stakes  studding  the  bottom  of  the  pit :    or.  when    tlie 


100  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

trap  is  without  the  cruel  addition  of  spikes,  he  is  speared  to  death 
by  the  hunters,  who  must,  if  such  spikes  are  not  used,  continually 
visit  their  pitfalls;  for,  if  not  killed  soon  after  being  entrapped, 
the  captured  animals  will  tear  down  the  sides  of  the  pit,  and  fill 
up  the  hole  sufficiently  to  allow  them  to  escape. 

These  pitfalls  are  so  skillfully  concealed  that  the  hunter  has  to 
be  continually  on  his  guard,  as  unless  their  whereabouts  is  well 
known  to  him,  he  may  possibly  fall  a  victim  to  the  trap  set  for  the 
game  he  is  stalking. 

I  myself,  when  alone,  have  more  than  once  stumbled  into  these 
holes ;  but  in  the  vicinity  of  a  settlement  spikes  are  seldom  used, 
and  when  venturing  far  afield,  I  was  always  accompanied  by  a 
local  hunter  whose  knowledge  enabled  us  to  steer  clear  of  this 
danger. 

My  sporting  friend.  Bongo  Nsanda,  was  an  expert  hunter  and 
trapper.  He  had  caught  a  great  many  hippopotami  in  his  pitfall- 
traps,  and  many  a  "tusker"  and  buffalo  had  become  victims  to  his 
weighted  spear,  cunningly  suspended  from  the  branches  of  the 
towering  forest  trees.  Passing  through  a  wood  one  day,  follow- 
ing up  the  new  track  of  a  buffalo.  Bongo  Nsanda  called  my  atten- 
tion to  an  old  and  unused  pitfall  which  he  had  made,  a  few  yards 
from  the  river-bank,  in  the  trail  of  a  hippopotamus.  He  told  me 
that  having  left  it  un watched  for  several  days  while  he  was  on  a 
trading  trip,  one  morning,  upon  revisiting  it  he  was  much  aston- 
ished to  see  that  it  was  full.  During  his  absence  a  hippo  had 
fallen  in  and  died,  and  a  crocodile,  attracted  by  the  odor  had 
climbed  up  the  bank  and  got  into  the  pit,  where  he  gorged  himself 
upon  the  hippo,  and  was  unable  to  get  out  again,  but  was  still 
alive.  As  a  large  trading-canoe  was  passing  at  the  time.  Bongo 
Nsanda  thought  it  best  to  sell  the  contents  of  his  trap  as  it  stood, 
thereby  saving  himself  the  bother  of  killing  the  reptile.  So  he 
hailed  the  canoe,  and  having  made  a  satisfactory  bargain,  the 
purchasers  proceeded  to  kill  the  crocodile  by  spearing  it.  One 
man,  however,  losing  his  footing  fell  in,  and  was  caught  by  the 
crocodile.  Fortunately  he  was  rescued  alive,  though  severely 
wounded. 


THE  A FRICA N  BILL  OF  FA  RE.  h'\ 

Bongo  Nsanda,  like  all  natives,  -was  very  superstitious,  antl 
thought  this  trap,  which  had  been  the  cause  of  bo  much  hlood- 
shed,  had  better  be  left  alone.  He  had  a  foreboding  that  he  him- 
self might  in  some  way  bo  the  next  victim  if  he  used  it  again.  Be- 
sides which  he  feared  the  village  medicine  man,  who  would  attri- 
bute such  mishaps  to  Bongo  Nsanda  being  the  possessor  of  an  evil 

spirit. 

Big  game  are  in  even  greater  danger  from  the  deadly  "likongo" 
or  spear-trap,  then  from  any  other  means  adopted  by  the  natives 
for  their  destruction.  A  massive  barbed  spear-head  is  let  into  a 
heavy  beam  of  wood,  and  this  weapon  is  suspended  thirty  or  forty 
feet  from  the  grovmd  over  some  well-worn  animal  trail.  Tied  be- 
tween two  trees,  its  deadly  blade  pointing  directly  to  the  trail,  it 
is  kept  in  position  by  a  cord  which  is  carried  to  the  base  of  the 
tree,  and  then,  concealed  among  branches  of  trees,  is  drawn  across 
the  path.  The  unwary  elephant,  buffalo,  or  hippopotamus,  upon 
touching  it  with  his  foot  as  he  walks,  severs  the  frail  string,  and 
the  pondrous  weapon,  now  released,  falls  crashing  into  the  poor 
brute's  back.  As  a  rule  an  animal  wounded  in  this  way  is  unable 
to  move  far,  as  the  distance  through  which  the  heavily  weighted 
spear  falls,  drives  the  barb  deep  into  the  body  with  fatal  effect. 

When  an  animal  is  Icilled,  the  meat,  to  be  stored  for  future  use 
is  cut  up,  placed  over  fires,  and  smoked  until  it  is  dry.  in  which 
condition  it  will  keep  for  several  months,  so  long  as  it  is  not  al- 
lowed to  become  damp. 

The  natives'  ordinary  list  of  food  is  very  limited,  the  stai>le  diet  be- 
ing boiled  manioc  root  and  fish.  Manioc  is  a  vegetable^  resembling 
the  potato  in  substance,  but  coarse  and  stringy.  The  African 
prepares  it  by  soaking  it  in  water  for  five  days,  during  which  it 
ferments,  becoming  soft  and  inili)y;  the  fibn)ns  threads  are  then 
extracted,  and  it  is  kneaded  into  a  d(Uigh-like  paste,  which  is 
boiled  before  use.  In  the  Congo  household,  this  is  .nll.'d 
"binguele."  or   "chiquanga".  and  is  a  very  nutritious  ftiod. 

Some  dishes,  though  a])preciated  by  the  native,  are  obtained 
with  so  much  difficulty  that  they  must  be  considered  as  luxuries. 
It  is  not  every  day  that  even  the  greatest  chi'f<  '"i"  r.nrtnke  of 


102 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


CLAY  WATER  BOTTLE. 


boiled  hippopotamus-leg,  roast  elephant-trunk,  or  grilled  buffalo- 
steak,  nor  does  the  much  esteemed  crocodile  stew  often  grace  the 
menu. 

Frizzled  caterpillars,  paste  of  smashed  ants,  toasted  crickets, 
and  eggs  which  are  decidedly  out  of  date,  are  national  relishes, 
and  are  always  acceptable  items  at  the  African  banquet. 

The  dishes  I  have  named  will  not,  per- 
haps, seem  very  palatable,  but  as  white 
men  consider  frogs,  snails,  turtles,  and 
oysters  as  luxuries,  I  hardly  think  we  can 
justly  criticise  the  means  employed  by 
the  Central  Africans  to  satisfy  their  gas- 
tronomic cravings. 

The  African  eats  three  times  a  day — at 
nine  o'clock,  lightly,  and  at  noon  and  six 
in  the  evening  as  largely  as  the  state  of  his  larder  will  permit. 
Vegetables  are  invariably  boiled,  but  meat  is  roasted  on  spits, 
over  a  wood  fire,  and  is  always  thoroughly  cooked  before  being 
eaten. 

Knives,  forks,  spoons,  napkins,  and  plates  are  not  necessaries  at 
a  "Congo  dinner."  In  fact,  any  native  who 
has  been  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  such 
luxuries  as  a  fork  and  spoon,  punches  a  hole 
in  the  handle  of  each,  and  hangs  them  by  a 
string  from  the  roof-tree  of  his  house,  as 
proofs  of  his  importance,  and' of  the  advance 
of  civilization.  Manioc,  fish,  and  meat,  when 
cooked,  are  cut  up  and  placed  in  large  earthen  jars  by  the  women, 
who  cook  and  prepare  all  food.  Then  groups  of  ten  and  twelve 
squat  down  round  a  jar,  and  eat  with  their  fingers  from  the  com- 
mon dish,  sopping  up  the  peppered  palm-oil  gravy  with  their 
chiquanga  or  manioc  bread. 

The  civilized  wielder  of ^a  fork  and  spoon  would  be  sadly  handi- 
capped at  a  Central  African  banquet. 

The  Congo  man  does  not  always  limit  himself  to  three  meals  a 
day;  he  is  a  glutton  by  nature.     When  he  has  a  quantity  of  meat 


ffiwaO— , 


EARTHEN  JAR. 


NATIVE  SMOKERS. 


103 


he  gorges  while  the  savory  morsels  last,  arguing  that  he  may  die 
before  to-morrow,  and  be  the  loser  of  a  great  deal  of  pleasure. 
Even  if  the  meat  is  tainted  and  the  odor  of  it  is  so  strong  as  almost 
to  overpower  the  passer-by,  it  is  not  rejected  on  that  account ;  and 
any  disgust  I  ever  expressed  on  seeing  the  natives  eat  hippopota- 
mus meat,  the  odor  of  which  would  have  been  intolerable  to   a 


V^^ 


"^^^^       -^^\J^^ 


SMOKING  THE    LONG  PIPE. 


civilized  man,  was  met  by  the  retort:  "Bisu  ku-ola  niama,  tu- 
kuola  ncholu  te !"  (We  eat  the  meat,  but  we  don't  eat  the  smell  1) 
— a  subtle  distinction. 

After  a  meal  pipes  are  produced,  for  these  people,  old  and  young 
alike,  of  both  sexes,  are  inveterate  smokers.  The  men  use  a  pipe 
with  a  stem  eight  or  nine  feet  long,  the  big  metal  or  wooden  bowl 
of  which  is  stuffed  full  of  tobacco  and  covered  with  a  live  cinder. 
The  old  chief  will  close  his  lips  tightly  on  the  mouth-piece,  and 
commence  to  draw  most  furiously  till  he  has  created  a  big  flood  of 
smoke,  which  he  inhales  till  he  exhausts  his  bodily  capacity,  and 
then  passes  the  pipe  along  to  those  gathered  around  him,  each 


104  AV  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

of  whom  enjoys  the  narcotic  influence  in  the  same  way.  I  have 
often  seen  them,  when  thus  engaged,  fall  helpless  to  the  ground, 
thoroughly  overcome  by  the  powerful  fumes. 

The  women  are  more  moderate,  though  they  consume  more 
tobacco.  They  enjoy  the  weed  in  the  same  manner  as  a  white 
man,  and  use  neatly  made  bowls  of  metal  or  clay,  with  short 
wooden  stems. 

During  my  travels  in  Central  Africa,  I  found  tobacco  growing 
in  every  settlement,  thougli  in  some  places  the  soil  was  more 
suited  for  its  cultivation  than  in  others. 

My  rather  monotonous  routine  of  life  was  repeatedly  relieved 
by  some  unusual  activity  in  the.  villages. 

One  day,  amid  the  heavy  booming  of  drums  and  the  hubbub  of 
a  hundred  excited  voices  all  talking  at  one  time,  and  each  trying 
to  make  itself  heard  above  the  general  tumult,  a  large  fleet  of  war- 
canoes  started  away,  manned  by  natives  of  Lukolela  and  the  dis- 
rict.  They  were  about  to  punish  the  common  enemy,  a  tribe  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  for  some  cause  real  or  imaginary.  As 
the  flotilla  passed  my  station  beach,  they  struck  up  their  boastful 
war-songs,  rattled  their  drums,  beat  their  iron  gongs,  blew  loud 
harsh  blasts  on  their  ivory  trumpets,  and  exhibited  for  my  edifica- 
tion, all  the  warlike  accomplishments  which  they  intended  to 
bring  to  bear  on  the  enemy. 

Their  faces  smeared  with  charcoal  gave  them  a  truly  formidable 
appearance,  as  they  flourished  their  bright-blacied  knives  and 
keen,  glistening  spears,  in  fierce  anticipation  of  the  planned  at- 
tack. 

An  approaching  war  between  two  villages  is  the  signal  for  great 
activity  among  the  medicine  men.  They  must  find  out  by  their 
insight  into  the  future  how  the  coming  fight  will  terminate. 
Charms  to  protect  the  warriors  against  gunshot,  spear,  and  arrow 
must  be  prepared.  These  consist  of  small  packages  the  size  of  a 
tennis-ball  which  contain  stones,  beads,  pieces  of  iron,  fish-hooks, 
and  shells,  and  are  worn  round  the  necks  or  shoulders  of  the  war- 
riors. Besides  the  actual  charm,  devotional  duties  are  imposed 
upon  the  wearer  by  the  Nganga.     A  warrior  supplied  with  a  talis- 


FETISH-MAN ' S  CO  UNSEL. 


105 


by  the  Xganga  is  not  vigorously  followed  in 

the  war  by  the  warriors,  as  their  actions 

must  necessarily  depend   much   on  the 

reception  they  meet  with  when  face  to 

face  with  the  enemy.     Then,  if  defeat 

is  the  result,  the  fetish-man  Avill  say : 

"  Aha  I  if  you  had  done  exactly  as 

I  told  you,  all  would  have  ended 

differently.      You    Avould    not 

have  lost  a  man ;  you  Avould 

have  captured  many  slaves, 

and  returned  loaded  with 

ivory    and    cloth.     But, 

of    course,  if    you   do 

not  attend    to    what 


man 
to  pro- 
tect him 
in  time  of 
war  against 
the    enemy's 
weapons     has, 
in  order  to  ren- 
der the  charm  ef- 
fectual, to  observe 
carefully  certain  in- 
junctions   dictated  by 
the  fetish-man  to  be  car 
ried  out  before   eating  or 
drinking.     Sometimes  it  is 
necessary  to  smear  the  face 
and  body  with  various  colored 
chalks,  but  the  extent  of  such 
ceremonies  increases  with  the  im- 
portance of   the  client.     Old  Mun- 
tula,  the  Lukolela  charm  doctor,  had 
been  busily  engaged  for  a  month  or  so 
finding  out  the  best  course  to  pursue  in 
the    coming    struggle,   the  warriors  the 
while   being  engaged  in  renovating  their 
weapons,  and  in  dancing  and  drinking.     It 
is  needless  to  say  that  the  plan  mapped  out 


I   say,   you   cannot 
expect    to    suc- 
ceed."    And  the 
contrite   w  a  r  - 
riors  Avill  an- 
swer :      "It 
is     quite 
true, 


SPEABS  AVn 
DEVIL  DODGER. 


106 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


that  is  what  we  ought  to  have  done;  why  did  we  not  do  it?" 
Then  all  hotly  discuss  who  should  bear  the  blame  for  disobey- 
ing instructions,  finally  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the  next 
time  they  go  to  war  they  will  follow  the  guidance  of  the  fetish- 
man.  But  they  never  do  so.  It  is  easy  to  understand  that 
they  cannot.     If  they  find   their  enemies  too  strong,  and  they 


itHmt  iiirinw 


DEPARTURE    OF  WAR  CANOES. 


KM 


are  likely  to  get  the  worst  of  it,  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  If 
on  the  other  hand  they  themselves  are  in  overwhelming  force, 
a  precipitate  rush  is  made  to  the  enemy's  stronghold,  as  every  man 
is  anxious  to  steal  as  much  as  he  can. 

Three  days  after  the  imposing  departure  of  the  Lukolela  war- 
riors, the  flotilla  returned.  As  they  paddled  slowly  past  my 
station,  their  dejected  and  crest-fallen  demeanor  plainly  showed 
that  their  common  enemy  still  remained  unpunished.  The 
blackened  faces  and  glistening  weapons  had  failed  to  frighten  the 


BURIAL  OF  A  CHIEF.  107 

I 

foes,  whom  they  found  quite  prepared,  and  they  were  received  by 
showers  of  spears  and  arrows,  hurled  by  resolute  men  from  behind 
well-constructed  stockades.  The  arrival  of  the  canoes  at  the  village 
landing  was  the  signal  for  a  general  wailing,  as  one  of  the  young 
Lukolela  chiefs  had  been  killed  in  the  fight  from  which  they  had 
just  ignominiously  fled.     The  next  day  I  witnessed  the  burial. 

The  body,  round  which  lengths  of  cloth  vv^ere  wrapped,  resembled 
a  colossal  chrysalis.  Since  the  return  of  the  canoes,  flint-lock 
muskets  had  been  repeatedly  discharged  to  announce  the  death ; 
but  at  the  moment  when,  the  body  of  the  young  chief  was  lowered 
into  the  grave  dug  for  its  reception  in  the  chief's  own  house,  the 
reports  of  the  over-charged  guns  culminated  in  a  veritable  salvo 
of  musketry. 

The  usual  accompaniment  to  such  ceremonies,  in  the  Lukolela 
district,  is  a  strange  mixture  of  mirth  and  sorrow,  for  little  clus- 
ters of  merry  dancers  mingle  with  the  groups  of  mourners  whose 
energetic  lamentation  is  shown  by  streaming  eyes  and  the  tear- 
stained  cheeks.     But  little  real  grief  is  felt,  however;  the  tear  is  a 
tribute  demanded  by  native  custom,  which  sorrow  unaided  can 
seldom   produce.     A  woman    Mall  suddenly    cease    her  weeping, 
throwing  aside  all  signs  of  woe,  to  enjoy  a  pipe  or  perhaps  to  sell 
a  bunch  of  bananas  or  a  fowl ;  but  upon  the  completion  of  the 
bargain  she  will  again  step  back  into  the  circle  of  mourners  and 
abruptly  resume  her  moans  and  tears,  and  with  complete  com- 
mand of  the  emotions,  will  weep  or  laugh  at  will.     Sometimes,  at 
the  death  of  an  important  chief,  all  the  women  will  be   engaged 
for  days  in  shedding  tears  over  the  departed.     During  the  time  of 
mourning,  native  custom  denies  them  the  privilege  of  washing, 
and  the  continual  streams  from  their  eyes  wear  deep  ruts  on  their 
begrimed  faces  and  bodies.     When  the  body  has  been  placed   in 
the  grave,  the  friends  of  the  dead  chief  dry  their  tears  and  resume 
their  ordinary  habits  of  dress  and  demeanor;  but  the  slaves  and 
relatives  of  the  dead  man  must  for  three  months  after  the  inter- 
ment still  maintain  an  appearance  of  great  dejection,  and  refrain 
from  smearing  the  body  with  the  customary  red  powder,  or  even 
from  removing  the  objectionable  eyelashes  or  trimming  the  nails. 


108  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

They  must  also  wear  very  old  cloth,  and  leave  their  woolly  heads 
unplaited  and  uncared  for.  At  the  expiration  of  the  three  months, 
the  "  ngula"  (red-wood  powder)  again  colors  their  bodies,  new  cos- 
tumes are  produced,  and  the  unkempt  wool  is  neatly  plaited  in 
wisps  and  tails.  Too  often  the  cessation  of  mourning  is  signalized 
by  the  execution  of  a  slave.  In  this  instance  the  brother  of  the 
young  chief  had  bought  a  slave  for  that  purpose.  But  I  forbade 
the  ceremony,  and  in  order  to  protect  the  poor,  unfortunate  fellow 
from  all  harm,  I  redeemed  him  by  paying  to  the  captor  the  price 
of  his  purchase.  The  poor  emaciated  creature,  whose  name  was 
Mpasa,  had  for  six  days  been  bound  hand  and  foot  by  cords,  with 
barely  enough  food  to  allow  him  to  exist.  It  was  a  great  disap- 
pointment to  the  expectant  villagers  that  I  would  not  allow  the 
sacrifice  to  be  carried  out,  as  they  had  invited  a  troupe  of  Ekuala 
musicians,  an  inland  tribe  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  to 
take  part  in  their  festivities.  Having  heard  a  great  deal  about 
the  ability  of  the  dusky  orchestra,  I  invited  them  to  visit  my 
station,  and  I  was  greatly  struck  with  the  harmony  of  sound  pro- 
duced from  unpromising  material.  Some  of  the  troupe  rattled 
on  their  drums ;  others  fingered  rough  stringed-instruments  called 
•'longombi,"  bearing  a  crude  resemblance  to  a  banjo,  and 
round  pieces  of  flat  iron,  pierced  and  strung  loosely  together, 
formed  excellent  castanets.  The  music  was  wild,  but  per- 
formed in  such  excellent  time  that  the  result  was  decidedly 
pleasing.  To  the  accompaniment  of  this  Central  African  musi- 
cal band,  the  Ekuala  dancers,  wearing  wild-cat  skins  around 
their  waists,  gave  an  exhibition  of  their  skill,  which  consisted  in 
successions  of  rapid  and  graceful  movements  of  the  body,  which 
especially  delighted  the  Lukolela  natives  who  thronged  into  my 
station  to  witness  the  performance.  The  majority  of  the  villagers 
were  slaves;  their  varied  tattoo  marks  plainly  proclaimed  the 
wide-spread  raids  of  the  slaver.  The  Lolo,  from  the  banks  of  the 
Ikelemba,  Lulungu,  and  Malinga  Rivers ;  the  Ngombe,  from  the 
far  interior ;  and  the  natives  of  the  Ubangi,  were  all  represented 
in  the  ranks  of  my  neighbors'  households — women,  as  wives,  and 
the  men  as  recruits  to  the  force  of  warriors.     The  slave,  having 


A  NEW  COMRADE.  109 

survived  misery,  starvation,  and  the  many  murderous  phases  of 
the  slave-trade,  finds  himself  at  a  village  like  Lukolela  in  a  posi- 
tion of  comparative  security,  until  some  horrible  native  custom, 
or  the  superstitious  edict  of  the  fetish-man,  demands  his  death. 

The  tastes  of  Congo  tribes  vary  considerably.  Here  at  Lukolela 
the  general  ambition  of  the  head  men  was  to  own  as  many  slaves 
as  possible,  so  that  they  might  insult  their  neighbors  with  im- 
punity and  destroy  those  who  resented  it.  Besides  this  ambitious 
desire,  they  have  a  great  love  of  metal  ornaments.  The  Lukolela 
chief  points  with  a  great  deal  of  pride  to  his  brass  anklets,  and 
will  boast  of  the  massive  "molua"  (woman's  large  brass  neck-ring) 
round  his  wife's  neck.  The  Ba-Teke,  of  Stanley  Pool,  engage 
largely  in  the  ivory  trade,  buying  from  the  up-river  native  traders, 
and  exchange  their  tusks  with  the  white  merchants  on  the  coast 
for  cloth,  guns,  and  powder. 

The  merchant,  becoming  a  man  of  property,  will  wear  a  little  of 
the  cloth,  from  the  store  he  has  accumulated  during  his  life-time, 
tied  round  his  waist,  with  one  end  dragging  in  the  mud  three  yards 
behind  him,  to  exemplify  to  his  admiring  neighbors  his  intense 
contempt  for  such  paltry  wealth.  The  bulk  of  his  cloth  is  stored 
to  satisfy  his  craving  for  a  pompous  funeral,  and  at  his  death  it 
will  be  bound  around  him  preparatory  to  his  being  smoked 
before  burial,  and  all  the  powder  and  guns  of  the  departed  will  be 
used  in  firing  salutes  suitable  to  such  an  important  occasion. 

Five  months  had  passed  since  Stanley  had  left  my  station, 
promising  to  send  me  up  a  white  companion,  Avhen  the  shouts  from 
my  men  of  "Masua  anarude"  (boats  are  coming!),  imparted  to  me 
the  welcome  tidings  that  I  was  about  to  see  a  white  face  again, 
and  very  soon  two  whaleboats  heavily  freighted  with  supplies  and 
provisions  for  the  new  stations  up  the  river  were  securely 
anchored  at  my  beacli.  With  my  consignment  of  necessaries 
was  landed  a  stalwart  young  Englishman,  w^ho  handed  me  a  let- 
ter from  Stanley,  introducing  the  bearer  as  D.  H.  G.  Keys,  my 
promised  assistant.  My  new  comrade  was  full  of  good  nature 
and  high  spirits.  I  had  now  been  away  from  England  fifteen 
months,  and  as  our  postal  service  was  rather  erratic,  my  know]- 


110  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

edge  of  recent  home  news  was  exceedingly  limited.  So  after  the 
boats  had  steamed  up-river  and  we  were  left  to  ourselves,  Keys, 
who  had  just  come  from  the  old  country,  would  spend  many  hours 
in  recounting  to  me  such  of  the  events  that  had  happened  since 
my  departure  as  he  thought  likely  to  interest  me;  and  when  he 
had  exhausted  his  news,  he  would  sing  over  the  new  songs  of  Gil- 
bert and  Sullivan's  latest,  till  I  was  able  to  pick  out  the  gems  of  the 
opera  on  the  strings  of  my  old  banjo.  Keys  was  by  nature  suited 
exactly  for  the  pioneer  life  among  wild  people  that  we  were 
to  lead  together.  He  was  always  kind  and  forbearing  in  his  deal- 
ings with  the  natives,  whose  child-like  ignorance  pleaded  strongly 
with  him  in  excuse  for  their  many  faults,  but  if  they  attempted  to 
take  advantage  of  his  good  nature,  they  found  him  a  courageous 
and  determined  man.  He  possessed,  too,  a  certain  natural  charm 
of  manner  which  made  him  instantly  a  favorite  in  the  villages, 
where  he  would  freely  mingle  with  the  people  without  that  frigid 
dignity  which  Europeans  so  often  think  it  necessary  to  assume  in 
their  intercourse  with  the  African — a  fruitful  cause  of  much  of  the 
disappointment  and  ill-success  which  many  unfortunate  pioneers 
have  met  with  in  their  attempts  to  benefit  and  civilize  the  savages 
of  the  interior. 

There  was  much  to  be  done  at  this  time  in  obtaining  concessions 
of  territory  from  the  chiefs  in  the  district.  I  was  frequently  mak- 
ing excursions  by  land  and  water  on  the  business  of  the  expedi- 
tion, visiting  and  conciliating  various  tribes  and  entering  into 
agreements  with  their  head  men.  When  I  was  away.  Keys,  of 
course,  was  in  charge  oi'  the  station,  and  it  was  pleasant  to  know 
that  the  work  was  not  falling  into  arrears  during  my  absence, 
and  to  look  forward  to  a  hearty  welcome  from  my  comrade  when 
I  returned.  When  we  were  together,  our  talk  would  turn  natur- 
ally to  dogs,  guns,  and  game.  I  would  tell  Keys  all  my  experience 
Avith  hippopotami  and  buffaloes,  and  show  him  the  best  hunting 
grounds  fur  big  game  in  the  neighborhood.  We  little  thought,  as 
we  laid  out  our  plans  far  ahead,  that  the  close  of  a  short  season 
would  find  only  one  gun  in  the  field.  For  the  present  we  ar- 
ranged that  either  one  or  the  other   should  go  on  a   hunting  trip 


CAUGHT  NAPPING.  Ill 

each  week  to  replenisii  the  larder  and  keep  the  men  in  good  humor, 
but  we  were  now  in  the  midst  of  the  season  of  winds,  v/hen  the 
river  is  very  dangerous,  as  tornadoes  were  constantly  sweeping 
across  the  stream,  lashing  into  fury  the  quiet  waters  of  a  few 
minutes  before,  rendering  the  crossing  of  the  Congo  in  a  native 
canoe  a  hazardous  undertaking. 

The  steel  lighters,  returning  from  provisioning  the  up-river 
stations,  had  arrived  at  my  place  on  their  way  down  stream.  As 
these  boats  could  face  any  weather,  I  borrowed  one  of  them  in 
order  to  cross  the  river,  and  have  a  day's  hunting.  Upon  arriving 
on  the  other  side,  we  passed  through  a  small  channel  and  entered 
a  large  lake-like  lagoon  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  plain.  "We 
had  a  favorable  wind,  and  had  not  put  out  an  oar.  The  rough 
square-sail  bellied  out  before  us  as  we  tore  through  the  water. 
Upon  a  little  tongue  of  sand,  which  reached  out  into  the  lake,  two 
buffaloes  were  taking  their  morning  drink,  and  so  noiselessly  had 
our  bark  sped  on  its  way,  that  the  animals  were  evidently  uncon- 
scious of  our  presence  until  the  report  of  my  long  Martini  rifle 
brought  one  to  the  ground  and  warned  the  other  of  his  danger. 
When  I  ran  my  boat  in-shore,  I  found  the  one  I  had  shot  to  be 
quite  dead,  the  ball  having  struck  behind  the  shoulder  and  passed 
through  to  the  lieart.  Leaving  some  of  the  crew  in  charge  of  the 
boat,  I  struck  into  the  grass  in  search  of  other  game.  We  had 
tramped  all  through  my  different  hunting  patches,  wdien  passing 
through  a  little  stretch  of  long  grass,  a  small  black-and-white  bird, 
which  always  accompanies  buffalo  herds,  flew  up  just  in  front  of 
me.  Instinctively  arresting  my  footsteps,  I  strained  forward  and 
peering  in  the  direction  whence  the  bird  arose,  saw  at  my  feet  a 
big  bull-buffalo  lying  in  the  grass,  with  his  head  toward  me.  I 
quickly  raised  my  rifle  and  fired  a  snap  shot ;  fortunately  for  my- 
self and  trackers,  the  bullet  took  instant  effect,  and  after  two  or 
three  spasmodic  efforts  to  scramble  to  his  feet,  the  buffalo  sank 
back  dead  on  the  grass.  I  shudder  to  think  what  the  result  might 
have  been  Imd  I  only  wounded  him.  I  could  never  understand 
the  bull's  presence  there,  for  it  is  not  often  that  buffaloes  are 
caught  napping  in   that  way.     Having  skinned  the   animal,  my 


112  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

men  carried  the  meat  to  the  boat.  They  WQre  walking  just  ahead 
of  me,  when  suddenly  I  saw  each  man  throw  down  his  load  and 
start  back  with  a  terrible  fright.  The  cry  of  "  Moseme !  Moseme !" 
(Snake!  Snake!)  explained  the  situation.  Approaching,  I  saw, 
half  submerged  in  a  slimy  puddle  of  water,  a  large  python,  who 
defiantly  lifted  his  head  at  our  approach.  The  reptile  had  gorged 
itself,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  capable  of  any  great  activity.  I 
shot  it  through  the  head,  and  my  men  carried  it  to  the  boat.  In 
its  stomach  was  found  a  wild  goose,  which  the  serpent  had  just 
swallowed,  but  the  operation  the  bird  had  just  undergone,  did  not 
debar  it  from  being  utilized  by  my  native  followers,  as  a  piece  de 
resistance,  and  the  meat  of  the  snake  was  cooked  and  eaten  in 
due  course,  its  skin  subsequently  made  a  handsome  trophy. 

The  report  of  my  rifle,  when  I  fired  at  the  snake,  had  started  a 
small  herd  of  buffalo.  I  heard  them  splashing  tiirough  the  swamp 
ahead  of  us.  Taking  my  hunter,  Bongo  Nsanda,  with  me,  I  got 
within  shot,  fired,  and  hit  one  of  the  herd ;  and  not  bringing  the 
animal  down,  I  had  to  follow  the  tracks  of  blood  through  swamp 
and  plain,  and  push  my  way  through  tangled  grass  and  into  the 
depths  of  the  boggy  forest,  before  I  came  up  to  my  game.  The 
poor  wounded  brute  was  standing  in  a  pool  of  water,  and  I  was 
able  to  approach  unobserved  and  bowl  him  over,  making  my  day's 
total,  three  buffaloes,  and  one  snake  with  attendant  goose. 

This  abundance  of  meat  was  very  acceptable  to  my  own  men, 
and  also  to  the  crews  of  the  whale-boats,  who  had  buffalo  steaks 
enough  to  last  them  on  their  trip  down  stream. 

In  all  my  hunts  I  was  accompanied  by  Bongo  ISTsanda,  who 
stood  ready  at  hand,  and  often  with  his  heavy  spear,  which  he 
preferred  to  a  rifle,  he  gave  the  coup-de-grdce,  and  ended  the  dy- 
ing struggle  of  the  animal  that  I  had  shot. 

He  had  a  tremendous  reach,  and  being  very  powerful  would 
hurl  his  weapon,  and  bury  the  whole  length  of  his  twelve  inch 
blade  in  the  carcass  of  an  animal. 

How  different  was  the  result  of  the  next  hunting  party,  which 
started  from  Lukolela  station.  Its  disastrous  termination  was 
one  of  the  saddest  events  in  mv  life. 


ALONE  AGAIN.  113 

It  was  my  companion  Key's  turn  to  go  and  try  and  bag  some 
game,  and  renew  our  food  supply.  He  started  off  in  high  spirits, 
saying  to  me  as  he  went  away,  "Have  a  good  lunch  ready,  old 
man— back  about  one — shall  be  awfully  hungry — always  am  when 
I  come  home  from  hunting."  I  could  not  accompany  him,  as  I 
was  busy  that  day  looking  after  station  matters.  One  o'clock 
passed,  two,  three,  and  then,  as  he  was  usually  punctual  in  re- 
turning at  the  appointed  hour,  I  began  to  have  a  fear  that  some- 
thing was  wrong.  I  felt  sure  that  something  had  happened,  and 
as  time  wore  on  and  brought  no  news  of  my  canoe,  this  forebod- 
ing of  evil  tidings  increased.  At  last  just  as  the  sun  was  sinkmg, 
I  saw  my  canoe  returning,  but  my  straining  eyes  could  catch  no 
glimpse  of  poor  Keys.  There  was  in  the  canoe  an  ominous  gap, 
which  arrested  the  beating  of  my  heart,  and  upon  its  arrival  at 
the 'beach  I  found  that  my  presentiment  was  sadly  converted  into 
fact.  I  then  learned  the  story  of  his  death.  Having  come  upon  a 
herd  of  buffaloes,  eager  for  the  sport  he  fired  away  until  he  ex- 
hausted his  stock  of  cartridges ;  he  w^as  then  in  the  midst  of  a 
large  plain,  but  was  suffering  so  much  from  thirst  that  he  decided 
to  make  for  the  river,  which  was  distant  about  half  a  mile.  He 
took  with  him  one  Houssa  and  a  little  native  boy.  When  they 
had  proceeded  a  few  hundred  yards,  they  had  to  traverse  a  stretch 
of  very  long  grass,  upon  entering  which  they  were  startled  by  the 
snorting  and  tramping  of  an  enraged  buffalo.  The  two  frightened 
blacks  skipped  off  the  patch  and  hid  in  the  tangled  cover.  Keys 
also  tried  to  escape.  The  brute  charged  here  and  there,  at  oqe 
time  beating  down  the  long  grass  within  a  yard  of  the  two  blacks. 
Then,  at  last,  suddenly  sighting  poor  Keys,  he  charged  furiously 
at  him.  One  slight  moan  was  all  the  blacks  heard.  Death  must 
have  been  instantaneous.  It  was  a  sad  blow  for  me;  the  re- 
membrance of  it  is  still  vivid  in  my  mind.  We  had  been  the  best 
of  friends ;  no  angry  word  or  thought  had  ever  passed  between  us. 
He  had  left  me  that  morning  full  of  life,  rejoicing  in  his  youth  and 
strength.  I  fancied  I  could  almost  hear  the  echoings  of  his  eager 
calls,  hurrying  his  men  to  the  hunt,  and  faint  lingering  notes  of 
his  joyous  farewell  shouts  seemed  to  reach  me  as  I  sat  alone  while 


114 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


the  gloomy  shades  of  the  fateful  day  gathered  darkly  round  the 
desolate  station.  They  had  placed  the  body  in  his  room  on  the 
narrow  camp-bed.  All  the  weary  night  I  paced  restlessly  up  and 
down  the  mud  floor  of  the  house,  listening  and  watching,  intensely 
expectant  for  something  to  assure  me  that  it  was  all  the  fancy  of  a 
feverish  brain.  The  strain  at  last  became  unendurable.  Before 
the  dawn  broke  I  was  lying:  delirious  with  fever  in  my  own  room. 
When  I  regained  my  senses  I  found  my  men  gathered  round 
me,  anxiously  awaiting  the  first  sign  of  returning  consciousness. 

I  buried  poor  Keys  just  behind  the  station  house.  A  great  silk- 
cotton  tree  throws  its  shade  over  the  grave — a  heap  of  stones  en- 
circled with  a  rough  wooden  paling,  at  the  head  of  which  stands 
a  little  cross  bearing  his  name  and  the  date  of  his  death. 

I  was  destined  to  see  no  white  face  for  five  months,  and  it  would 
be  a  long  time  before  the  poor  mother,  in  far-away  England,  could 
receive  the  awful  news  of  her  dear  boy's  death. 


A    FAN    PALM. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS,  UPPER   CONGO. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

HUNTING   NOTES,  AND  SAVAGE  CEREMONIES. 

Buffalo  hunting — Caught  in  a  stokm— A  spirit  in  a  rifle  barrkl— The  medicine  man's 
RETREAT— Extraction  of  bullets— Friendly  chat  with  the  natives— A  human 
sacrifice— The  Executioner— Horrors  of  slavery— The  young  chief  Ndobo— His 
despotism  and  fate. 

The  sad  death  of  my  comrade  Keys  was  a  great  blow  to  me,  and 
left  me  in  an  awful  state  of  depression. 

It  was  but  yesterday  we  two  were  talking  of  home,  and  antici- 
pating our  future  careers  in  Africa,  with  hearts  full  of  hopeful- 
ness and  boyish  ambition.  At  night  our  overflow  of  good  spirits 
had  found  lusty  relief,  as  we  sat  by  the  log  fire  and  boisterously 
sang  our  songs  till  the  gloomy  jungles  around  us  echoed  them 
back. 

To-night  pitiless  disaster  had  hauled  the  flag  half-mast,  and  the 
nocturnal  silence  was  unbroken  except  by  cry  of  a  savage  beast  or 
the  weir:l  call  of  the  vampire  to  remind  me  of  the  grievous  fact 
that  I  was  alone. 

But  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  overcome  fate's  merciless  as- 
sault, for  my  responsible  position  as  commander  of  Lukolela  de- 
manded that  my  energy  and  judgment  should  be  in  thorough, 
robust  condition,  and  so  I  was  determined  to  dismiss  the  sad 
subject  as  much  as  possible  from  my  mind,  by  keeping  my  time 
fully  employed  in  my  station  work,  and  in  my  duties  of  research 
in  the  native  settlements. 


116  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

My  blacks  were  greatly  depressed  at  the  dreadful  accident,  and 
when  in  a  few  weeks'  time,  I  suggested  another  buffalo  hunt,  they 
tried  hard  to  persuade  me  to  abandon  the  idea,  expressing  the 
dread  that  I,  too,  might  lose  my  life,  and  then,  they  asked  "  what 
will  become  of  us?"  But  I  allowed  no  such  argument,  and  I  was 
resolved  to  rouse  them  from  their  disheartened  mood.  Their  ob- 
jections to  accompanying  me  became  almost  mutinous,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  make  forcible  display  before  they  would  pick  up 
their  paddles  and  board  the  big  dug-out  canoe  for  a  trip  in  search 
of  game.  However,  they  finally  took  their  paddles,  and  we  crossed 
the  river  to  my  old  hunting  field  without  mishap,  and  rowed 
silently  up  a  small  creek  which  headed  away  in  a  forest  swamp, 
and  flowed  languidly  through  a  winding  channel  till  it  discharged 
its  muddy  little  volume  into  the  Congo.  Upon  rounding  one  of 
the  many  curves,  we  came  in  full  view  of  four  buffaloes  standing 
in  the  water  up  to  their  bellies.  They  saw  us  at  once,  and  amidst 
a  great  splashing,  they  hastily  plunged  toward  the  bank.  Three 
of  them  had  already  got  safely  out,  and  into  the  long  grass  before 
I  could  get  a  steady  aim,  but  as  the  fourth  one  reached  the  dry 
land  he  turned  his  head,  and  looked  at  us  for  a  moment. 

This  injudicious  curiosity  gave  me  the  right  opportunity;  my 
bullet  struck  him  in  the  forehead,  and  he  dropped  heavily  to  the 
ground  with  a  low  moan,  which  is  the  sign  of  a  fatal  shot,  and 
upon  our  reaching  the  animal  he  was  quite  dead.  My  men  were 
delighted  that  we  had  bagged  our  game  without  at  all  endanger- 
ing ourselves  in  the  venture.  The  meat  was  soon  cut  up  and 
stowed  away  in  the  canoe,  and  all  of  us,  now  greatly  encouraged 
by  the  successful  result  of  the  hunt,  were  beginning  to  enjoy  a 
more  cheerful  condition  of  mind. 

The  Congo  River  just  above  Lukolela  is  about  four  miles  wide, 
and  sudden  storms  render  this  wide  stretch  of  water  very  danger- 
ous to  cross.  On  this  day  the  heavens  certainly  looked  rather 
threatening,  but  there  were  apparently  no  signs  of  an  immediate 
squall,  so  we  started  for  the  other  side.  When  about  midstream, 
a  few  gusts  of  wind  came  sweeping  along,  just  slightly  ruffling 
the  river's  surface,  and  Bongo  Nsanda,  who  always  acted  as  my 


SWAMPED  BY  A  TORNADO.  117 

steersman,  pointed  to  the  horizon  in  the  north-west,  where  a  fiery 
patch  arched  over  by  darkened  clouds  warned  us  that  a  storm  was 
nigh. 

"Koolookanangooea!"  (Paddle  with  all  your  might!)  "Mboonge 
anakooial"  (Waves  are  forming!)  My  crew  had  the  greatest  con- 
fidence in  my  black  hunter's  knowledge  on  such  a  subject,  and 
every  man  worked  with  a  will,  and  the  canoe  staggered  along 
over  the  choppy  seas  which  had  sprung  up  so  suddenly  around  us. 

We  were  rapidly  nearing  t'he  shore,  but  the  waves  increasing  in 
size  every  moment,  were  rolling  in  over  the  gunwale,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  order  the  men  to  lighten  the  canoe  by  throwing  our 
meat  overboard,  but  in  spite  of  this  precaution,  and  the  excellent 
management  of  the  craft,  the  heavy  seas  closed  in  on  us  on  all 
sides,  and  sw^amped  us.  Fortunately  every  one  could  swim,  and 
when  thrown  into  the  water,  all  held  on  to  the  gunwale  of  the 
water-filled  dug-out,  which  was  a  cotton  wood,  and  w^e  reached  the 
beach  in  safety.  As  I  also  took  the  precaution  of  firmly  lashing 
m}'  guns  to  the  side  of  the  canoe,  these  indispensable  weapons  were 
all  saved,  so  except  for  the  loss  of  the  meat,  and  the  unpleasant 
risk  we  ran  of  being  nipped  by  a  crocodile  whilst  sw^imming 
ashore,  the  accident  was  trifling. 

As  the  natives  of  Central  Africa  attribute  to  some  mysterious 
influence  any  hitch  or  hindrance  occurring  in  ordinary  every-day 
affairs,  the  little  mishap  I  have  just  related  was  credited  to  the 
Moloki  or  evil  spirit,  who  is  said  to  be  guilty  of  indulging  in  petty 
annoyances.  I  was  assured  that  the  evil  spirit  had  aided  me  to 
bag  my  buflfalo,  and  had  then  allow^ed  me  to  get  the  meat  supply 
almost  back  to  the  sta^;ion,  but  had  acted  with  this  generosity 
only  to  have  the  opportunity  of  vexing  me  by  swamping  mv 
canoe,  and  robbing  me  of  its  cargo, 

I  was  once  somewhat  astonished  to  hear  this  mysterious  in- 
fluence accused  of  tampering  with  fire-arms.  Continual  practice 
among  African  big  game  had  given  me  a  steady  hand,  and  rendered 
my  aim  with  the  rifle  fairly  sure.  As  a  rule  after  a  day's  hunting 
among  the  buffaloes  or  hippopotami,  I  returned  home  with  at  least 
one  of  these  animals.     But  during  one  season  it  happened  that  for 


118  JiV"  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

two  consecutive  days  I  failed  to  kill  any  thing  although  I  saw 
plenty  of  game.  I  had  used  every  effort,  too,  as  my  larder  stood 
much  in  need  of  fresh  supplies.  The  men  who  accompanied  me 
were  thoroughly  disheartened  at  my  want  of  success,  and  were 
convinced  of  the  interference  of  some  spirit  who  had  bewitched 
my  gun,  and  they  earnestly  asked  my  permission  to  expel  the  ob- 
jectionable evil-doer.  "Let  us  have  your  rifle  and  we  will  remove 
the  Moloki,"  said  they;  and  upon  my  inquiring  the  mode  of  eject- 
ment they  proposed  trying,  they  answered :  "  Simply  put  the  barrel 
into  the  fire  till  it  is  red  hot,  and  burn  out  the  evil-spirit."  As 
the  cure  suggested  seemed  to  me  worse  than  the  evil  it  was  in- 
tended to  remedy,  I  decided  that  the  Moloki  could  retain  his  pres- 
ent quarters  rather  than  that  my  rifle  should  suffer  such  treat- 
ment, and  moreover  I  myself  would  attend  to  any  such  ejections 
which  I  found  to  be  necessary. 

Whilst  at  Lukolela  I  had  a  fine  well-stocked  medicine  chest,  and 
the  natives  now  thoroughly  convinced  of  my  interest  in  their  wel- 
fare, would  come  to  me  to  have  their  ailments  doctored ;  even 
their  crude  minds  could  see  that  an  actual  remedy  applied  Avas 
more  consistent  than  the  charm  doctors'  rattle  and  his  muttered 
incantations;  moreover  I  made  no  charge,  whilst  my  dusky  com- 
petitor aided  the  suffering  only  after  exorbitant  payment.  Many 
of  the  natives,  however,  stubbornly  clung  to  tribal  prejudices. 

The  wife  of  one  of  my  men  had  a  child  who  was  suddenly  taken 
ill.  She,  unknown  to  me,  called  in  the  village  medicine  man.  I 
watched  this  celebrity's  ofiicial  arrival  as  he  walked  with 
measured  step  and  awed  his  credulous  fellow-men  with  his  im- 
posing manner.  He  viewed  the  sick  baby  with  a  good  deal  of  pro- 
fessional concern,  and  then  after  receiving  an  advance  payment, 
he  proceeded  to  chalk  his  face  in  different  colors  with  stripes, 
smudges,  and  dots,  and  having  produced  from  his  knitted  sack  a 
few  packets  of  feathery  charms,  asked  that  a  large  pot  of  water 
might  be  placed  over  the  fire,  in  the  vessel  he  threw  a  few  beads 
and  shells,  and  then  ordered  his  audience  to  sit  down  in  silence, 
and  warned  them  all  to  so  remain  until  he  had  completed  his  investi- 
gation.    AVhen  I  arrived  on  the  scene,  he  was  eagerly  gazing  into 


THE  NGANGA'S  DISCOMFITURE.  119 

the  water  watching-  for  the  apj^earance  of  the  face  of  the  possessor 
of  au  evil  spirit  which  had  bewitched  the  child.  My  athletic 
treatment  of  this  village  ecclesiast  however  prompted  a  return 
journey,  in  which  dignity  certainly  was  not  the  promnient  feature. 
He  had  unexpectedly  discovered  a  far  more  robust  spirit  than  had 
been  expected.  Subsequently  the  little  child,  which  had  very  lit- 
tle the  matter  with  it,  got  well  under  a  treatment  of  nutritious 
food  supplied  from  the  station  kitchen. 

There  were  two  native  trails  running  through  my  territory ;  one 
ran  along  in  front  of  the  house,  and  the  other  at  the  back  through 
my  plantation ;  the  charm  doctor  in  future  always  took  the  latter, 
as  his  public  appearance  at  my  station  had  added  to  his  list  of 
recollections,  one  of  decided  bodily  discomfort. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  sickness  among  these  people.  Fevers 
and  agues  haunt  the  swamps,  and  there  is  much  suffering  from 
ulcers  and  sores.  There  are  some  herbal  medicines  of  valuable 
properties  known  to  these  people.  But  the  fetish-man,  in  order  to 
maintain  his  reputation,  invests  all  actual  medical  treatment  with 
such  elaborate  magical  surroundings  as  to  convince  the  ignorant 
savage  that  the  cure  is  due  to  the  charm,  and  the  application  of 
the  herbal  mixture  subservient  to  fetish  agencies. 

To  his  religious  functions  the  Nganga  unites  those  of  the  sur- 
geon and  the  physician,  and  whatever  his  pretentions  in  the  one 
calling  may  be,  his  skill  in  the  other  is  more  than  considerable. 
In  skirmishes  of  intertribal  warfare  natives  are  often  badly 
wounded ;  powder  is  a  scarce  commodity  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
so  the  owner  of  a  musket  will  not  fire  at  his  enemy  unless  he  is 
near  enough  to  be  certain  of  his  aim.  The  slugs  used  are  rough 
pieces  of  copper,  brass  wnre,  and  stones  of  all  shapes.  These  fired 
at  a  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  yards  inflict  ugly  wounds,  and 
are  found  deeply  embedded  in  the  flesh.  In  the  extraction  of 
these  rude  bullets  the  fetish-man  displays  great  surgical  skill,  al- 
though of  course  he  always  attributes  such  ability  to  the  agency 
of  his  wonder-working  charms.  At  one  time,  during  a  little  fight 
I  was  forced  into  by  the  hostile  attitude  of  a  neighboring  chief, 
several  of  my  men  received  wounds  from  the  enemy's  overcharged 


120  IN'  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

liint-locks.     I  called  in  a  native  charm  doctor  who  was  renowned 
for  surgical   skill.     When   he  arrived  I  told  him  that  if  he   suc- 
ceeded in  extracting  the  slugs  from  my  men  I  would  give  him  a 
handsome  present.     One  of  my  men  Avas  badly  hit ;    the   charge 
had  entered  the  shoulder  just  below  the  neck,  and  worked  its  way 
down  toward  the  armpit.     The  Nganga,  covered  with  magic  para- 
phernalia, assumed  the  impressive  demeanor  characteristic  of  his 
clan.     He  first  compelled   all  present  to  seat  themselves  on   the 
ground  before  him,  allowing  no  one  to  stand  behind  him  while  he 
was  performing  the  operation.     My  man  was  then  brought  and 
firmly  held,  while  the  Nganga  examined  the  wounds,  carefully 
probing  with  the  hair  of  an  elephant's  tail  to  ascertain  the  position 
of  the  slugs.     Having  satisfied  himself  on  this  point  he  addressed 
himself  to  his  charms,  bewildering  the  simple  onlookers  with  mut- 
tered incantations  of  fearful-sounding  words :  he  would  often  con- 
sult a  basin  filled  with  water  placed  near  the  head  of  the  patient, 
into  which  he  had  dropped  a  few  shells ;  then  he  smeared  his  body 
with  different  colored  powders,  and  to  increase  the  keenness  of 
his  insight,  into  the  hidden  things  of  the  spirit  world  he  anointed 
his  eyelids  with  a  bluish  paste.     All  influences  being  propitious  he 
proceeded  to  work  again,  gently  squeezing  and  pinching  the  flesh 
to  coax  the  bullets  from  the  wounds.     When   his  fingers  assured 
him  that  he  had  succeeded  in  his  endeavor  to  bring  tiie  bullet  near 
the  surface,  he  produced  a  number  of  leaves  from  a  bag  carried 
on  his  person,  pressed  them  to  pulp  between  his  palms,  and  placed 
a  portion  of  them  over  each  wound.     This  done  he  continued  his 
manipulations  with  one  hand  while  gesticulating  to  a  mysterious 
bundle  he  had  in  the  other.     Finally  he  removed  the  leaves,  and 
taking   the  extracted  bullets  from  the  aperture  of  each  wound 
dropped  them  one  by  one  with  a  triumphant  gesture  into  the  basin. 
The  skill  of  the  Nganga  compelled  my  admiration,  and  3-et  all  the 
natives   who  witnessed  the  extraction,  the  patient  included,  de- 
parted more  impressed  by  the  irrelevant  and  absurd  rites  that  ac- 
companied the  operation  than  by  the  knowledge  and  dexterity  of 
'the  operator. 

The  old  medicine  man  is  the  most  important  individual  in  a  vil- 


NATIVE  CHARACTERISTICS.  121 

lage.  Even  the  head  men  fear  his  tyranny.  His  authority  should 
always  be  weakened  by  any  white  man  living  in  the  district. 
I  invariably  n.ade  it  my  business  to  scoff  at  their  ability,  and 
eventually  succeeded  in  convincing  a  great  part  of  the  settlement 
that  they  were  being  duped  by  the  charm  doctor's  deceit  and 
hypocrisy. 

My  station  at  Lukolela  was  thronged  all  day  and  far  into  the 
niglit  with  dusky  crowds,  and  the  station  and  native  village  of 
Lukolela  were  living  on  tlie  best  of  terms. 

The  natives  brought  me  presents  of  goats,  fowls,  bananas,  pine- 
apples, and  palm  wine,  and  1  delighted  their  childish  hearts  with 
penny  forks,  tiny  bells,  brass  wire,  and  bright  cloth.  They  nar- 
rated to  me  incidents  and  historical  events  in  connection  with 
their  nation,  and  I  endeavored  to  give  them  some  idea  of  Avhat  a 
great  country  the  white  man  dwelt  in,  but  they  could  not  under- 
stand how  our  "  village"  could  be  important.  They  had  seen  so  few 
white  men,  and  had  never  seen  a  white  woman,  they  did  not  be- 
lieve there  were  many  of  us,  and  when  I  asked  them  to  draw  in 
the  sand  the  size  of  Mputu,  (white  man's  land),  they  portrayed  it 
as  having  the  dimensions  of  a  man's  hand,  while  quite  an  exten- 
sive area  was  shown  as  the  size  of  Lukolela,  which  they  con- 
sidered far  larger  than  all  the  white  man's  land  put  togetlier. 

They  were  greatly  amused  at  the  rough  drawings  1  made  with 
charcoal  on  the  whitewashed  side  of  my  house,  and  when  I 
depicted  in  crude  designs,  steamboats,  locomotives,  and  other 
civilized  appliances  so  strange  to  them,  and  gave  explanation 
in  their  own  tongue,  1  had  always  a  most  appreciative  audience. 
For  a  long  time  they  could  not  understand  small  printed  illustra- 
tions; the  diminutive  representation  of  objects  puzzled  them 
greatly.  If  I  pointed  out  a  man  in  a  picture,  they  would  say  "•If 
that  is  a  man" — "A  ku  jala  muke  muke."  (He  is  a  very  small 
one). 

These  natives  have  a  strange  combination  of  characteristics; 
they  are  light-hearted,  plucky,  industrious,  and  make  stanch  fol- 
lowers, but  they  are  pitilessly  cruel,  and  delight  to  witness  human 
suffering  and  the  spilling  of  human  blood. 


122  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

.  Horrible  ceremonies  of  human  sacrifice  result  from  the  belief 
prevailing  amongst  these  people  of  an  existence  carried  on  under- 
ground after  death,  as  on  earth,  a  life  in  which  the  departed  ones 
require  the  services  of  slaves  and  wives  to  attend  to  their  several 
wants. 

They  believe  that  death  leads  but  to  another  life  to  be  continued 
under  much  the  same  conditions  as  the  life  they  are  now  leading, 
and  a  chief  thinks  that  if  when  he  enters  into  this  new  existence 
he  is  accompanied  by  a  sufficient  following  of  slaves,  he  will  be 
entitled  to  the  same  rank  in  the  next  world  as  he  holds  in  this, 
and  from  this  belief  arises  a  hideous  ceremony  of  human 
slaughter.  Upon  the  death  of  a  chief  a  certain  number  of  his 
slaves  are  selected  to  be  sacrificed  that  their  spirits  may  accom- 
pany him  to  the  next  world.  Should  this  chief  own  thirty  men 
and  twenty  women,  seven  or  eiglit  of  the  former  and  six  or  seven 
of  the  latter  will  suffer  death.  The  men  are  decapitated,  and  the 
women  are  strangled.  When  a  woman  is  to  be  sacrificed  she  is 
adorned  with  bright  metal  bangles,  her  toilet  is  carefully  attended 
to,  her  hair  is  neatly  plaited,  and  bright-colored  cloths  are  wrapped 
around  her.  Her  hands  are  then  pinioned  behind,  and  her  neck 
is  passed  througli  a  noose  of  cord ;  the  long  end  of  the  cord  is  led 
over  the  branch  of  the  nearest  tree,  and  is  drawn  taut  at  a  given 
signal ;  and  while  the  body  is  swinging  in  mid-air,  its  convulsive 
movements  are  imitated  with  savage  gusto  by  the  spectators.  It 
often  happens  that  a  little  child  also  becomes  a  victim  to  this  hor- 
rible ceremony  by  being  placed  in  the  grave  alive,  as  a  pillow  for 
the  dead  chief.  These  executions  are  still  perpetrated  in  many 
villages  of  the  Upper  Congo. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  an  execution  all  peaceful  occupation  is 
thrown  aside,  and  old  and  young  of  both  sexes  give  themselves  up 
to  the  indulgence  of  the  ghastly  spectacle. 

At  early  morn  a  peculiar  slow  beating  on  the  war  drums  is  the 
death  signal  for  the  poor  slave  pinioned  and  guarded  in  a  hut  near 
by,  and  the  well-known  sounds  announce  to  the  savage  audience 
that  the  executioner  is  about  to  add  to  his  list  of  victims. 

The  natives  hurriedly  leave  their  huts,  and  very  soon  groups  of 


AN  EXECUTION. 


123 


men,  women,  and  children  form  themselves  in  circles  and  excitedly 
perform  dances,  consisting  of  violent  contortions  of  the  limbs,  ac- 
companied by  savage  singing,  and  repeated  blasts  of  the  war- 
horns,  each  dancer  trying  to  outdo  his  fellow  in  violence  of 
movement  and  strength  of  lung. 

About  noon,  from  sheer  exhaustion,  combined  with  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  they  are  compelled  to  cease,  when  large  jars  of  palm 
wine  are  produced,  and  a  general  bout  of  intoxication  begins, 
increasing  their  excitement,  and  showing  up  their  savage  nature 
in  striking  colors.  The  poor  slave,  who  all  this  time  has  been 
lying  in  a  corner  of 

some  hut,  shackled  .  x- -. ..^^x^ 

hand  and  foot,  and 
closely  watched, 
suffering  the  agony 
and  suspense  which 
this  wild  tumult 
suggests  to  him,  is 
now  carried  to  some 
prominent  part  of 
the  village,  there  to 
be  surrounded  and 
to  receive  the  jeers 
and  scoffs  of  the  drunken  mob  of  savages.  The  executioner's  as- 
sistants, having  selected  a  suitable  place  for  the  ceremony,  procure 
a  block  of  wood  about  a  foot  square.  The  slave  is  then  placed  on 
this,  in  a  sitting  posture;  his  legs  are  stretched  out  straight  in 
front  of  him ;  the  body  is  strapped  to  a  stake  reaching  up  the  back 
to  the  shoulders.  On  each  side  stakes  are  placed  under  tlie  arm- 
pits as  props,  to  which  the  arms  are  firmly  bound;  the  other 
lashings  are  made  to  posts  driven  into  the  ground  near  the  ankles 
and  knees. 

A  pole  is  now  planted  about  ten  feet  in  front  of  the  victim,  from 
the  top  of  which  is  suspended  by  a  number  of  strings  a  bamboo 
ring.  The  pole  is  bent  over  like  a  fishing-rod,  and  the  ring 
fastened  round  the  slave's  neck,  which  is  kept  rigid  and  stiff  by 


AWAITING  EXECUTION. 


124 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


the  tension.  During  this  preparation  the  dances  are  resumed,  now 
rendered  savage  and  brutal  in  the  extreme  by  the  drunken  con- 
dition of  the  people.  Groups  of  dancers  surround  the  victim 
and  indulge  in  drunken  mimicry  of  the  contortions  of  face  which 
the  pain  caused  by  this  cruel  torture  forces  him  to  show.  He  has 
no  sympathy  to  expect  from  this  merciless  horde. 

Presently  in  the  distance  approaches  a  company  of  two  lines  of 

young  people,  each  holding  a  stem  of  the 
palm  tree,  so  that  an  arch  is  formed  be- 
tween them,  under  which  the  executioner 
is  escorted.  The  whole  procession  moves 
with  a  slow  but  dancing  gait.  Upon  ar- 
riving near  the  doomed  slave  all  dancing, 
singing,  and  drumming  cease,  and  the 
drunken  mob  take  their  j^laces  to  witness 
the  last  act  of  the  drama. 

An  unearthly  silence  succeeds.  The  exe- 
cutioner wears  a  cap  composed  of  black 
cocks'  feathers;  his  face  and  neck  are 
blackened  with  charcoal,  except  the  eyes, 
the  lids  of  which  are  painted  with  white 
chalk.  The  hands  and  arms  to  the  elbow, 
and  feet  and  legs  to  the  knee,  are  also 
blackened.  His  legs  are  adorned  profusely 
with  broad  metal  anklets,  and  around  his 
waist  are  strung  wild-cat  skins.  As  he  performs  a  wild  dance 
around  his  victim,  every  now  and  then  making  a  feint  with  his 
knife,  a  murmur  of  admiration  arises  from  the  assembled  crowd. 
He  then  approaches  and  makes  a  thin  chalk  mark  on  the  neck  of 
the  fated  man.  After  two  or  three  passes  of  his  knife,  to  get  the 
right  swing,  he  delivers  the  fatal  blow,  and  with  one  stroke  of  his 
keen-edged  weapon  severs  the  head  from  the  body.  The  decapita- 
tion brings  to  a  climax  the  frenzy  of  the  natives ;  some  of  them 
savagely  puncture  the  quivering  trunk  with  their  spears,  others 
hack  at  it  with  their  knives,  while  the  remainder  engage  in  a 
ghastly  struggle  for  the  possession  of  the  head,  which  has  l)een 


THE  EXECUTIONER. 


THE  FIGHT  FOR  THE  HEAD. 


125 


jerked  into  the  air  by  the  relaased  tension  of  the  sapling.     As  each 
man  obtains  the  trophy,  and  is  pursued  by  the  drunken  rabble,  the 
hideous  tumult  becomes  deafening ;  they  smear  one  another's  faces 
with  blood,   and 
fights  always  spring 
up  as  a  result,  when 
knives    and    spears 
are  freely  used.   The 
reason  for  their  anx- 
iety to   possess  the 
head    is    this — the 
man  who  can  retain 
that  head  against  all 
comers  until  sun- 
down will  receive  a 
present    for   his 
bravery   fro  m    the 
chief.     It  is  by  such 
means  that  they  test 
the  brave  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  they  will 
say    with    admira- 
tion, speaking  of  the 
local  hero,  "  He  is  a 
brave  man,  he  has 
retained  two  heads 
until  sundown." 

When  the  taste  for 
blood  has  been  to  a 
certain  extent  satis- 
fied, they  again  re- 
sume their  singing  and  dancing  while  another  victim  is  pre- 
pared, when  the  same  ghastly  exhibition  is  repeated.  Some- 
times as  many  as  twenty  slaves  will  be  killed  in  one  day. 
The  dancing  and  general  drunken  uproar  are  continued  until  mid- 
night when   once  more  absolute  silence  ensues,  in  utter  contrast 


5afS0^°'^^^*^-^'* 


^:xECUTIo^•I•;K's  cap,  swokd,  anu  loin  ci.orii. 


126  ^^  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

to  the  hideous  tumult  of  the  clay.  I  had  frequently  heard  the 
natives  boast  of  the  skill  of  their  executioners,  but  I  doubted 
their  ability  to  decapitate  a  man  with  one  blow  of  the  soft 
metal  knives  they  use.  I  imagined  they  would  be  compelled 
to  hack  the  head  from  the  body.  When  I  witnessed  this 
sickening  spectacle  I  was  alone,  unarmed,  and  absolutely 
powerless  to  interfere.  But  the  mute  agony  of  the  poor  black 
martyr  who  was  to  die  for  no  crime  but  simply  because  he 
was  a  slave — whose  every  piteous  movement  was  mocked  by 
frenzied  savages,  and  whose  very  death  throes  gave  the  signal  for 
the  unrestrained  outburst  of  a  hideous  carnival  of  drunken 
savagery,  appealed  so  strongly  to  my  sense  of  duty,  that  I  de- 
cided upon  preventing  by  force  any  repetition  of  this  scene.  I 
made  my  resolution  known  to  an  assembly  of  the  principal  chiefs, 
and  though  several  attempts  were  made,  no  actual  executions 
took  place  during  the  remainder  of  my  stay  in  this  district. 

A  few  words  are  necessary  to  define  the  position  of  the  village 
chiefs  as  the  most  important  factors  in  African  savage  life,  es- 
pecially as  in  one  way  or  another  they  are  intimately  connected 
with  the  worse  features  of  the  slave  system,  and  are  responsible 
for  neirly  all  the  atrocities  practiced  on  the  slave. 

The  so-called  chiefs  are  the  head  men  of  a  village,  and  they 
rank  according  to  the  number  of  their  warriors.  The  title  of 
chieftain  is  not  hereditary,  but  is  gained  by  one  member  of  a  tribe 
proving  his  superiority  to  his  fellows.  The  most  influential  chief 
in  a  village  has  necessarily  the  greatest  number  of  fighting  men, 
and  these  are  principally  slaves,  as  the  allegiance  of  a  free  man 
can  never  be  depended  upon.  A  chief's  idea  of  wealth  is  slaves. 
Any  kind  of  money  he  may  have  he  will  convert  into  slaves  at 
the  first  opportunity.  Polygamy  is  general  throughout  Central 
Africa,  and  a  chief  buys  as  many  female  slaves  as  he  can  afford, 
and  will  also  marry  free  women,  which  is,  after  all,  only  another 
form  of  purchase. 

Sometimes  misfortune  creates  great  changes  in  the  chieftain's 
career.  I  will  narrate  a  short  story  of  a  young  tyrant  named 
Ndobo,  whose  ambitious  career  was  unexpectedly  checked. 


THE  STORY  OF  NDOBO.  127 

Ndobo  was  an  African  savage ;  liis  father  was  the  chief  Ncossi ; 
his  mother,  Molumbu,  was  a  slave  woman. 

When  old  Kcossi  died,  his  son  Ndobo,  who  was  a  brave  fellow, 
took  his  place  as  chief  of  Ikengo,  a  village  on  the  banks  of  the 
Congo  Eiver,  about  a  hundred  miles  from  Lukolela. 

In  former  days  it  had  been  the  custom  for  the  different  chief- 
tains of  the  whole  country  to  combine  and  form  themselves  into  a 
council  for  the  shaping  of  laws  for  the  ruling  of  the  land,  but 
when  the  young  and  ambitious  Ndobo  came  into  power,  he  re- 
fused to  admit  such  division  of  authorit}'.  He  at  once  assumed 
supreme  control,  and  threatened  with  barbarous  punishment  all 
who  opposed  him.  The  slave  who  disobeyed  him  was  killed,  and 
a  discontented  district  was  fiercely  assailed  till  the  entire  land  ten- 
dered submission  and  homage  to  the  young  tyrant. 

In  single  combat  Ndobo  had  vanquished  every  warrior  who  had 
dared  to  draw  his  blade.  He  was  proud  of  the  ugly  scars  which 
stood  out  in  long  wales  all  over  his  body,  recording  savage  fights 
with  man  and  beast. 

I  must  here  mention  that  in  this  land  the  utterance  of  a 
malicious  wish  is  a  direct  challenge  to  whomsoever  it  is  addressed, 
and  the  speaker  never  fails  to  support  his  words  by  grasping  his 
knife  in  readiness.  "Owi  na  mail"  (May  you  get  drowned  I) 
"Owi  na  ncorlil"  (Maya  crocodile  eat  you!)  are  insults  which 
will  unsheathe  two  glistening  blades  and  throw  two  stahvart 
savages  into  angry  conflict,  and  due  satisfaction  is  not  acknowl- 
edged till  both  are  weak  from  loss  of  blood,  and  the  van 
quished  drops  his  knife  and  gasps  out  his  surrender.  So  feared 
had  Ndobo  become  that  he  would  stand  unarmed  and  heap  offen- 
sive threats  on  both  chieftains  and  slaves  with  impunity,  for  no 
one  dared- to  resent  them.  Though  brave  in  war  and  fearless  in 
the  chase,  he  was  withal  a  cruel  and  merciless  savage;  the  life  of 
a  human  being  to  him  was  no  more  than  that  of  a  fowl  or  a  goat. 

On  the  roof  of  Ndobo's  hut  a  score  of  whitened  skulls  bore  evi- 
dence of  how  his  father's  death  was  signalized,  and  how 
thoroughly  the  son  and  heir  had  fulfilled  the  grim  demand  of 
tribal  fashion,  which  decides  that  upon  the   death  of  a  chief  half 


128 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


of  the  number  of  slaves  owned  by  the  deceased  shall  be  sacrificed, 
so  that  they  may  accompany  their  master  into  the  next  world,  and 
do  his  bidding  there,  as  they  had  done  on  earth. 

When  the  village  is  not  roused  to  brutish  frenzy  by  some  hideous 
exhibition  of  savagery  prompted  by  national  custom  or  resulting 
from  Ndobo's  cruel  whim  or  anger,  then  there  is  an  air  of  calm 
and  content  about  this  African  settlement.  The  neat  bamboo  huts 
roofed  with  grass,  embedded  in  a  mass  of  tropical  verdure,  and 

shaded  by  stately  palm  trees,  the 
throngs  of  orderly  beings  quietly 
engaged  in  cheerful  and  friendly 
conversation,  and  the  hearty 
laughter  of  the  rollicking  young- 
sters form  a  picturesque  and 
peaceful  scene. 

Recently  several  large  canoes 
had  come  down  stream  from  Lu- 
lungu  loaded  with  slaves  and 
ivory,  the  owners  of  which  had 
sold  to  the  Ikeilgo  chieftains  the 
entire  human  freight  and  all  the 
costly  elephant  tusks.  ISTdobo,  who 
was  a  keen  trader,  had  bought 
the  bulk  of  the  cargo,  and  set  to  work  at  once  to  organize  an  ex- 
pedition to  convey  the  newly  acquired  wealth  down  stream 
several  hundred  miles,  and  there  make  exchange  with  the  Chum- 
biri  people  for  cloth,  brass  wire,  metal  ornaments,  beads,  and  the 
variety  of  trinkets  which  go  to  make  up  the  currency. 

Five  large  canoes  had  been  selected,  each  to  be  manned  by  a 
crew  of  twenty- five  stalwart  paddlers;  the  hardiest  men  of  the 
land  had  been  pressed  into  Ndobo's  service.  Some  of  the  chief- 
tains of  the  surrounding  country  would  accompany  the  expedi- 
tion, others  were  detailed  to  remain  in  defense  of  the  villages. 

For  several  days  all  the  women  had  been  busily  engaged  in  pre- 
paring provisions  for  the  trip,  not  only  for  the  journey  down 
stream,  but  for  their  stay  there,  and  also  for  the  return  journey, 


SLAVE    FROM    UP-STREAM. 


PREPARING  MANIOC.  129 

for  the  Chumbiri  people  would  take  advantage  of  their  hungry 
condition  to  charge  them  ridiculous  prices  for  any  food  they 
might  need. 

Manioc  is  the  bread  of  that  land,  the  most  popular  and  general 
preparation  of  it  being  chiquanga.  Manioc  is  a  vegetable  re- 
sembling in  appearance  a  very  large  potato;  a  number  of  bulbs 
grow  in  a  cluster  at  the  roots  of  a  bush,  which  reaches  ten  feet  in 
height,  with  lanky  limbs  and  a  scant  covering  of  dainty  foliage. 
A  small  twig  of  the  manioc  bush,  planted  in  due  season,  will 
develop  to  maturity  after  fifteen  months,  and  about  a  score  of 
large  potato-like  vegetables  ripened  to  perfection  will  be  clinging 
to  the  roots  a  few  inches  below  the  surface  on  the  ground.  The 
African  woman,  who  conducts  all  agricultural  arrangements,  cuts 
down  the  bush,  and  digs  out  the  roots.  When  taken  from  the 
ground,  the  vegetable  is  of  the  substance  of  an  artichoke,  but 
very  stringy  throughout.  Big  baskets  are  loaded  with  these  roots 
and  sunk  into  the  water,  and  after  a  few  days  are  taken  out, 
when  a  great  change  has  taken  place  by  fermentation;  the 
manioc  has  now  become  quite  mealy,  and  all  the  threads  can 
be  easily  removed.  It  is  then  kneaded  into  dough,  and  made 
into  round  puddings  weighing  about  three  pounds,  which  are 
boiled  for  several  hours.  When  properly  cooked  it  is  white, 
and  looks  like  a  white  duff  pudding,  and  is  very  wholesome 
and  nourishing.  It  is  rather  difficult  at  first  for  a  white  man 
to  learn  to  like  this  dish,  which  tastes  somewhat  like  sour  milk. 
But  the  white  man  in  this  land  has  no  bakeries  or  restaurants 
catering  to  his  wants,  and  after  a  while,  if  he  is  deprived  of 
chiquanga,  he  feels  the  want  as  keenly  as  any  native. 

All  preparations  for  the  journey  had  now  been  completed,  and 
early  one  morning  the  sharp  rattle  of  Ndobo's  drum  sounding  tlie 
"Nkundila"  (all  aboard)  signal  summoned  the  paddlers  for  the 
start  and  threw  the  village  into  a  state  of  bustle  and  commotion. 
The  canoes  lying  swamped,  to  protect  them  from  the  sun,  were 
soon  lifted  and  baled  out  dry,  ready  to  be  loaded,  and  then  Ndobo 
himself  stood  on  the  beach  and  superintended  operations.  All  the 
ivory  (some  tusks  weighing  ninety  pounds),  was  carried  down 


130  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

and  laid  along  the  bottoms  of  the  dug-outs ;  then  the  bales  of  fish 
and  chiquanga  were  snugly  stowed,  also  bundles  of  "  ngula"  (pow- 
dered red-wood),  which  the  "swells"  in  that  country  mix  into 
a  paste  with  fat,  to  smear  their  bodies  with  when  wishing  to 
appear  fully  "dressed."  Everything  is  packed  so  that  the  canoe 
is  kept  in  perfect  trim  all  the  time.  The  slaves  to  be  sold,  down 
stream,  are  led  down  and  crowded  together  in  a  sitting  posture, 
all  securely  handcuffed,  on  the  bottoms  of  the  dug-outs. 

When  all  the  canoes  were  properly  loaded  and  in  perfect  trim, 
Ndobo  gave  the  order,  "Nkundila!"  and  every  paddler  was  soon 
in  his  place,  and  the  dug-outs  pushed  into  the  stream.  Before 
making  the  actual  start  they  paddled  two  or  three  times  up  and 
down  in  fr(mt  of  the  village  to  receive  for  their  formidable  ap- 
pearance the  admiration  of  the  girls  they  left  behind  them.  It 
was  a  barbaric  but  impressive  display,  and  the  sweethearts  and 
wives  who  remained  in  the  village  viewing  that  well-equipped 
and  well-armed  force  need  feel  no  anxiety  for  the  result  if  some 
hostile  tribe  should  attack  them  on  the  way  down  stream,  for  they 
were  perfectly  capable  of  rendering  a  good  account  of  them- 
selves. 

The  warriors,  all  standing,  with  their  heads  bedecked  with 
feathers,  strained  on  the  pliant  paddle  till  the  long  heavily  laden 
dug-outs  leaped  along  the  water  in  graceful  curves,  ably  steered 
by  four  stout  paddlers  at  the  stern.  Drums  were  beaten  on  board 
and  on  shore,  loud  blasts  were  blown  through  large  ivory  trum- 
pets, crude  cymbals  were  dashed  together,  and  every  voice 
shouted  a  tribal  war-song.  Every  now  and  then  the  warriors  laid 
down  their  paddles  and  grasped  their  knives  and  shields  and 
spears,  and  stabbed  and  slashed  in  mimic  warfare.  Finally  they 
wheeled  around,  each  man  laid  his  weapons  by  his  side,  within 
easy  reach,  and  took  up  the  paddle,  and  the  journey  commenced 
in  real  earnest. 

"Cooma!"  (beat  time),  shouted  Ndobo,  and  one  man  in  each 
canoe  raised  a  foot  to  the  gunwale  of  the  dug-out,  and  hammered 
out  the  time  for  the  paddlers'  strokes. 

When  on  an  expedition,  if  the  weather  is  favorable,  the  na- 


NDOBO'S  VOYAGE.  131 

tives  will  travel  by  water  fifty  miles  without  a  halt ;  their  canoes 
when  loaded  sink  down  so  deep  that  they  cannot  venture  out  when 
the  river  is  rough,  so  when  they  get  a  spell  of  fine  weather  they 
will  paddle  till  exhausted.  And  when  on  a  trading  venture,  with 
a,  cargo  of  slaves,  the  fewer  nights  spent  en  route  the  better,  for 
there  is  always  the  fear  that  some  may  escape. 

Ndobo's  flotilla,  propelled  by  powerful  strokes  and  aided  by  a 
swift  current,  was  soon  many  miles  away  from  Ikengo.  The 
canoes  raced  along  down  stream  amidst  an  incessant  tumult 
•of  singing  and  drumming,  now  threading  their  way  through  a 
scattering  of  pretty  tropical  islands,  then  past  immense  sand-banks 
upon  which  monster  crocodiles  lay,  basking  iathe  sun,  with  opened 
jaws,  which  closed  with  a  sharp  snap  at  the  unusual  approach, 
and  the  loathsome  reptiles  waddled  lazily  into  the  stream. 

Herds  of  hippopotami,  lying  huddled  in  shallow  water  with  only 
the  tops  of  their  heads  and  backs  showing  above  the  surface, 
startled  by  the  strange  intrusion,  reared  up  angrily,  and  clumsily 
stampeded  away  and  plunged  out  of  sight  into  deep  water,  to 
appear  again  presently,  scattered  all  over  the  surface  of  the  water, 
each  animal,  however,  showing  only  his  ej'es  and  the  tips  of 
his  ears  above  the  surface. 

Each  night  the  canoes  were  firmly  fastened  to  the  shore,  and 
the  big  earthen  cooking  pots  were  carried  ashore,  filled  with  the 
savory  manioc,  and  dried  fish  were  steaming  over  log  fires.  When 
the  cooking  was  done,  the  crowd  divided  itself  into  parties 
of  a  dozen,  each  with  a  pot  of  its  own,  around  which  they 
swarmed,  eating  from  it  with  tlieir  fingers,  those  in  the  back- 
ground being  greatly  handicapped  by  having  to  reach  over  the 
others'  heads,  bat  always  trying  in  such  a  case  to  dip  in  the  dish 
more  frequently,  and  regulate  the  result  in  that  way.  After 
having  eaten,  they  spread  out  their  mats  near  the  fires,  and, 
having  had  a  comfortable  smoke,  loll  off  to  sleep.  When  the  mos- 
quitoes are  bad  (and  it  is  seldom  they  are  not),  the  African  lies  on 
the  edge  of  his  mat  and,  throwing  the  remainder  of  it  over  him 
as  a  roof,  ho  then  builds  a  smoky  fire  at  each  end  to  deny  admit- 
tance to  the  hateful  torment. 


132  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

After  a  few  days'  hard  paddling,  Ndobo  and  his  flotilla  arrived 
at  Chumbiri  without  having  suffered  any  mishap.  The  young 
tyrant  chief  was  duly  greeted  by  the  various  chieftains  at  this 
place,  to  whom  he  was  well  known,  having  made  frequent  jour- 
neys here  before. 

In  this  land  in  the  heart  of  Africa  there  is  a  game  of  chance 
called  lobesi ;  pieces  of  pottery  are  chipped  into  wheels  about  the 
size  of  a  quarter  of  a  dollar;  one  side  is  whitened,  the  other  burnt 
black.  The  player  takes  an  odd  number  of  these  pieces  in  one 
hand  and  throws  them  on  a  mat,  first  betting  upon  either  black 
or  white;  and,  of  course,  if  the  majority  turn  up  his  color, 
he  wins.  Upon  ISTdobo's  arrival  here,  a  party  of  Chumbiri  na- 
tives was  earnestly  engaged  in  a  game  of  lobesi.  They  were 
playing  for  very  low  stakes — a  few  beads,  a  piece  of  fine  brass 
wire,  or  perhaps  a  fathom  of  cotton  cloth.  Young  Ndobo  at  once 
joined  the  game,  and  at  first  he  began  to  win ;  he  then  bet  more 
heavily,  and  instead  of  playing  for  beads  and  brass  wire,  he 
staked  his  "valuable  knife  and  spear,  and  lost  both.  Then  he  lost 
all  the  smaller  trinkets  he  had  previously  won.  He  became  ex- 
cited and  reckless,  and  he  ordered  one  of  his  men  to  bring  up  a 
slave  from  the  gang  in  his  canoes,  and  upon  his  arrival  Ndobo 
challenged  all  to  stake  their  slaves.  Only  one  player,  however, 
accepted  and  agreed  to  continue  the  play ;  the  others  who  had 
been  gambling  left  the  game. 

The  whole  village  now  became  interested,  and  a  dense  throng 
gathered  round  to  watch  the  play. 

Ndobo's  opponent  was  rapidly  winning.  Slave  after  slave  was 
brought  up  from  the  canoes,  till  the  whole  lot  was  gambled  away. 
Then  Ndobo  produced  a  tusk  of  ivory,  lost  it,  and  staked  another, 
and  played  till  he  had  lost  all.  The  young  tyrant  chief  of  Ikengo 
was  a  ruined  man.  Ever/  form  of  wealth  was  gone,  but  he  was 
yet  a  free  man  himself,  and  at  liberty  to  gamble  away  his  own 
existence.  He  hesitated  for  a  few  minutes  in  angry  meditation, 
then  nervously  gathered  up  the  seven  lobesi  wheels,  bet  on  white, 
and  threw.  The  little  pieces  rolled  and  twirled,  and  finally  set- 
tled— three  white  and  four  black.     He  had  lost. 


MOLUMBE'S  TRIUMPH.  I33 

Several  years  previously  Ndobo  had  come  down  to  Cliumbiri 
with  a  cargo  of  slaves  for  sale,  among  them  a  boy  named  Mol- 
umbe.  This  boy  had  grown  to  be  a  man,  and  it  Avas  he  who 
had  dared  to  play  Ndobo  for  so  high  a  stake,  and  who  had  in  one 
short  afternoon  won  all  the  property  of  his  former  master,  and 
even  deprived  him  of  his  freedom. 

That  afternoon  the  young  tyrant  Ndobo,  whose  word  was  law 
in  his  own  country,  and  at  whose  threat  his  whole  dominion 
trembled,  was  seated  handcuffed  and  shackled  amidst  the  gano- 
of  half -starved  slaves  he  had  brought  down  stream ;  like  them, 
he  was  now  for  sale. 

Ndobo,  sitting  with  his  arms  outstretched  on  his  drawn-up 
knees,  and  face  hidden,  was  struck  to  the  quick  by  his  former 
slave's  quiet  irony: 

"My  slave,  Ndobo!  Pesa  'ngai  lusaku!"  (Tender  me  homage.) 
Ndobo,  the  tyrant,  was  helpless  to  resist.     He  answered: 
"Lusaku,  Nkulu! !"  (I  am  your  slave,  my  master.) 
I  regret  very  much  to  say  that  it  is  not  often    that   the   cruel, 
despotic  chieftains  meet  so  well-deserved  a  fate. 


thkovvinl;  the  steak. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


MY     LAST    J>AYS     AT    LUKOLKLA. 


Short  hand  spei;ch—"Nyo"— Congo  orators— Lkoai,  Discussions -A  duel— The  sleeping 
SICKNESS— Gorillas— Natural  punishments- Fights  amongst  animals— A  guinea 
fowl  story— An  ill-tempered  hippo— The  Congo  Free  State— Lukolela  abandoned. 

Having  been  for  many  months  in  constant  communication  with 
my  dusky  neighbors,  I  was  no  longer  looked  upon  as  a  foreigner.  ^ 
In  fact,  it  was  only  when  an  occasional  white  man  paid  a  passing 
visit  that  I  spoke  in  English  at  all.  I  conversed  with  my  own 
Zanzibaris  in  their  language,  the  Ki-Swahili,  and  none  of  my 
Lukolela  friends  knew  any  tongue  but  their  own  Ki-Bangi 
which  I  had  thoroughly  learned. 

The  study  of  this  revealed  to  me  several  abbreviated  expres- 
sions, scraps  of  short-hand  speech.  On  the  lower  reaches  of  the 
Congo  the  word  "mbote"  at  first  puzzled  my  comprehension.  If  I 
asked  a  native  to  sell  me  pine-apples  or  fowls,  he  answered, 
"Mbote,"  and  whether  I  arrived  in  the  village  in  the  morning, 
afternoon,  or  night.  I  was  greeted  in  friendly  salutation  by  the 
single  word,  which  also   was   the   reply    to    any  interest  I  might 


NA  TIVE  SIGN  LANG  UA GE.  135 

express  with  regard  to  the  state  of  health  of  the  chief  and  family. 
As  I  made  my  departure,  the  natives,  no  matter  whether  they 
regretted  my  leaving  their  settlement  or  were  pleased  to  see  the 
last  of  me,  bade  me  farewell  in  the  expression  ''mbote."  It  seemed 
as  though  this  word  had  monopolized  an  extravagant  portion  of 
the  tribal  dictionary. 

Amongst  a  variety  of  other  meanings,  it  could  be  translated, 
"Certainly,  with  pleasure,"  "Good -morning,"  "Good-afternoon," 
"Farewell,"  "Very  glad  to  see  you,"  and  "Sorry  you  have  to  go." 
1  suppose,  when  civilization  will  have  established  some  of  the 
observances  of  the  white  man,  "Mbote  will  be  invested  with  the 
additional  meanings  of  "Many  happy  returns  of  the  day,"  "Merry 
Christmas,"  and  "A  Happy  New  Year." 

The  word  "be",  accompanied  by  the  sign  of  firmly  holding  the 
chin  between  the  first  finger  and  the  thumb,  means  quantity,  under 
favorable  conditions:  for  instance,  I  would  interview  Bongo 
Nsanda,  and  suggest  to  him  that  as  our  present  hunting-grounds 
were  being  cleared  of  all  the  game  by  our  frequent  visits,  we 
should  try  a  new  stretch  of  country,  and  would  ask  him  if  he  knew 
of  any  place  within  easy  reach  where  Ave  could  bag  a  buffalo 
or  elephant ;  if  I  received  the  answer,  "Be,"  there  was  no  need 
of  my  questioning  him  further  on  the  subject,  for  that  word  and 
its  attendant  signs  of  holding  the  chin,  signified  that  he  knew  of 
a  locality  with  the  necessary  conditions  altogether  favorable. 

By  far  the  most  forcible  of  all  the  abbreviations  is  the  one  ex- 
pressing destruction  and  fulfillment  of  promise.  It  is  a  sound  pro- 
duced by  screwing  the  mouth  up  into  whistling  positit>n,  then 
blowing  a  sharp  breath,  and  at  the  same  time  passing  the  hand 
rapidly  across  the  mouth  close  to  the  lips,  making  a  noise  resem- 
bling the  sudden  escape  of  steam. 

I  will  cite  an  instance  of  the  use  of  this  expression.  An  old  chief 
named  Manjimba  one  day  visited  my  station  and  sadly  narrated 
to  me  how  his  village  had  been  surprised  by  an  inhmd  tribiMif 
hostile  natives,  who  had  captured  some  of  his  people  and  taken 
several  prisoners.  "Why  don't  you  punish  your  enemies?"  I 
asked.  "You  ought  to  be  able  to  do  so  :  you   have  a  fine  following 


136  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

of  stalwart  warriors,  all  well  armed  with  spears,  knives,  arrows, 
and  shields.  Why  do  your  men  carry  such  weapons  if  they  re- 
main inactive  after  such  an  unprovoked  attack?" 

Manjimba  answered,  in  tones  of  unmistakable   determination  : 

"  Yes,  Makula,  I  intend  to  fight  these  people.  I  am  preparing  to 
attack  them  and  before  many  days  are  past  my  fighting  men  and 
myself  will  steal  stealthily  through  the  forest  and  pounce  upon 
the  marauders  at  night.  I  will  kill  some,  enslave  others,  burn 
their  huts  to  the  gtound,  and  destroy  their  fruit  plantations." 

Having  deliyored  himself  of  this  relentless  threat,  he  picked  up 
his  spears  and  shield,  and,  affably  wishing  me  good-by  for  the 
present,  (Narke  mboka),  he  strolled  home  again  to  attend  to  the 
warlike  project  in  hand. 

A  few  weeks  after  this  interview  the  old  chief  returned  to  my 
station,  and  stood  in  an  imposing  attitude  before  me.  I  at  once 
recalled  our  last  conversation,  and  asked  him  the  result  of  the 
venture.  A  lusty  puff  of  breath  rendered  into  a  mild  explosion 
by  the  rapid  passing  of  his  hand  across  his  mouth  at  the  time 
of  exhalation  was  Manjimba's  answer.  After  having  informed 
me  of  the  result  of  his  expedition  by  this  effective  sign,  a  savage 
smile  on  the  old  warrior's  face  indorsed  his  meaning,  which  was, 
of  course,  that  he  had  carried  out  his  threat  in  its  entirety. 

I  became  so  accustomed  to  the  use  of  these  peculiar  forms  of 
speech,  that  long  afterward,  even  when  conversing  with  white 
men,  I  would  unconsciously  use  a  native  word,  and  sometimes 
startle  my  civilized  companions  by  expressing  myself  in  Lukolela 
sign  talk.  Another  habit  which  I  contracted  was  that  of  counting 
on  the  fingers.  The  native  always  quotes  numbers  by  this  means, 
and  in  complicated  addition  the  toes  also  aid  him  to  work  out  the 
result.  It  is  surprising  how  rapidly,  and  with  what  accuracy,  the 
Central  African  will  conduct  his  arithmetical  computations.  He 
signifies  a  ten  by  a  closed  fist,  and  a  hundred  is  represented  by 
clapping  together  the  open  palms  of  the  hands.  Thus  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty-three  would  be  in  the  native  language  "Minkama 
mibale  joom  itano  na  esartu" — literally,  two  hundreds,  five  tens, 
and  three.     By  the  hands  this  number  would  be  indicated  by  two 


VILLAGE  POLITICS. 


137 


claps  of  the  palms,  for  the  hundreds,  the  closing  of  the  fist  five 
times  for  the  tens,  and  holding  up  of  three  fingers  for  the  small 
numbers. 

There  are  no  roads  in  the  country ;  the  paths  are  simply  wide 
enough  for  the  passage  of  a  single  individual  so  that  a  party  of 
natives; must  always  walk  in  single  file.  When  those  marching 
ahead  are  carrying  on  the  conversation  they  will  signify  any 
number  referred  to  in  their  talk,  on  their  hands,  which  they  hold 
up  above  their  heads  so  that  those  behind  can  see. 

The  natives  spoke  to  me  with  the  same  carelessness  as  when 
talking  among  themselves.  Village  politics 
and  general  happenings  were  discussed  in  my 
hearing,  as  I  never  interfered  until  they  at- 
tempted cruelty  to  their  fellow-men,  or  acted 
with  barbarous  injustice.  They  argued  that 
a  man  like  myself,  who  would  go  out  in  the 
swamps  and  forests  and  tramp  all  day  in 
search  of  the  buffalo  so  as  to  provide  them 
meat  during  hungry  times  was  a  friend  who 
could  be  intrusted  even  with  the  important 
secrets  of  Lukolela  village. 

Eventually  all  the  serious  disputes   arising 
between  tribes  and  families  were  referred  to 

me  for  judgment.  This  privilege  gave  me  opportunities  to  patch 
up  old  quarrels  and  keep  the  whole  settlement  living  at  peace.  I 
did  not,  however,  attempt  to  exercise  any  control  over  personal 
squabbles  and  the  investigation  of  petty  offenses. 

In  all  their  legal  discussions  the  word  "nyo,"  the  utterance  of 
which  is  accompanied  by  drawing  the  end  of  the  first  finger  down 
from  the  inner  corner  of  the  eye,  to  the  mouth,  is  an  emphatic  nega- 
tive, and  plays  a  leading  part  in  tribal  debate.  When  an  offender 
is  delivering  an  oration  in  his  own  defense,  he  at  first  utters  all  his 
negative  sentences  in  the  affirmative,  and  then  reverses  them  to 
the  intended  sense,  by  the  use  of  "nyo."  For  instance,  if  a  man  is 
accused  of  having  stolen  a  canoe.  He  will  say,  "Na  yebaki 
buatu!"  (I  stole  the  canoe!)  Then  he  adds  the  negative,  to  change 


"KYO." 


138  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

the  meaning  of  his  sentence  entirely,  which  now  is,  "I  did  not 
steal  the  canoe."  The  use  of  "nyo"  is  a  convenient  means  of  gain- 
ing the  full  attention  of  one's  hearers,  as  it  is  tribal  politeness  for 
the  whole  audience  to  have  their  fingers  ready  to  chime  in  with 
a  speaker's  "nyo."  The  effect  of  this  custom  is  very  curious,  as  a 
chorus  of  lusty  voices  is  added  to  th«  utterance  of  every  iiegative. 
The  speechmaker  of  the  Dark  Continent  holds  in  his  hand  a  bundle 
of  small  sticks,  one  of  which  he  puts  down  in  front  of  him  for  each, 
new  subject  and  argument  and  upon  referring  to  any  topic  he 
picks  up  the  particular  little  stick  which  he  has  placed  as  its  rep- 
resentative, and  this  he  holds  in  his  hand  while  he  is  speaking 
on  the  subject. 

Their  harangues  are  lengthy  and  decidedly  wearisome,  for 
in  all  their  arguments  they  will  commence  and  talk  for  hours 
upon  subjects  altogether  irrelevant  to  the  discussion  on  hand; 
they  will  tell  the  audience  all  they  know,  and  they  will  recite 
cunningly  worded  descriptions  of  their  own  good  deeds  in  peace 
and  war,  in  order  to  make  a  favorable  impression  upon  their 
hearers. 

The  gathering  upon  such  an  occasion  is  remarkably  well  be- 
haved, and  a  dusky  orator  is  never  unreasonably  interrupted;  in 
fact,  the  crowd  of  listeners,  packed  in  a  solid  ring  around  the 
space  reserved  for  the  council  and  those  interested,  fearful  lest 
they  should  create  disturbance  by  any  vocal  outburst,  of  approval 
or  surprise,  firmly  cover  their  mouths  with  their  hands  at  any 
sensational  statement,  and  bottle  up  feelings  which  would  if  re- 
leased constitute  a  most  boisterous  demonstration.  At  such  a 
meeting  the  eyes,  painfully  protruding  from  every  head,  suggest 
earnest  anxiety  to  shout,  and  we  can  easily  understand  why 
the  precaution  of  closing  the  mouth  during  holding  of  court  has 
become  a  legal  regulation. 

A  council  of  chieftains  is  generally  appointed  to  pass  judgment 
upon  disputes,  and  when  both  prosecutor  and  defendant  have 
argued  their  cases  the  judges  retire  to  arrange  their  verdict,  and 
upon  returning  proclaim  the  victor  by  marking  on  his  right  arm 
a  broad  white  chalk  stripe. 


TORTURING   WITNESSES. 


139 


Upon  such  an  occasion  the  most  influential  chief  present  occu- 
pies a  large  chair  fancifully  carved.  Men  of  minor  importance 
may  also  use  seats,  but  these  must  be  smaller,  as  it  is  a  breach  of 
etiquette  for  any  one  to  sit  in  a  more  ccmfortable  or  imposing  chair 
than  the  "Mokunge 
Monene"  (Big  Chief). 

I  am  sorry  to  say 
that  bribery  often  in- 
fluences the  verdict, 
the  guilty  man,  by  gen- 
erously handing  to  the 
assemblage  of  chief- 
tains a  goodly  stock  of 
cloth,  beads,  and  metal 
trinkets,  can  depend 
upon  the  proclamation 
of  his  innocence,  in 
spite  of  overwhelming 
evidence  against  him. 

A  r  a  t  h  e  r  r  o  u  g  h 
means  is  employed  of 
eliciting  evidence  from 
a  sulky  and  reticent 
witness.  He  is  bound 
hand  and  foot,  with 
leather  thongs,  and  is 
then  placed  in  some 
conspicuous  clearing, 
while  his  mouth  is  held  wide  open  by  a  block  of  wood  ;  the  ter- 
rible downpour  of  the  tropical  sun  by  day  and  the  torment  of  the 
mosquitoes  by  night,  coupled  with  the  agony  of  the  thongs  and 
gag,  invariably  persuade  the  victim  to  divulge  any  information 
required  of  him. 

Many  of  the  stout-hearted  young  warriors  disdain  to  submit  per- 
sonal disputes  to  the  judgment  of  others. 

When  they  fail  to  arrive  at  a  settlement  by  veroal   means,  then 


Al-JUCA.N    LlULl's    LllAU;. 


140  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

they  will  obtain  decision  by  resort  to  arms.  Every  man  carries 
around  his  shoulder  a  keen-edged  blade,  which  he  has  the  cour- 
age and  the  nerve  to  use  in  defense  of  his  opinions. 

I  remember  once,  uj^on  going  into  one  of  the  Lukolela  villages, 
I  found  all  peaceful  occupations  suspended ;  tools  had  been  hastily 
cast  down  and  the  cooking-pot  on  the  fire  had  resented  the  in- 
attention paid  to  it  by  toppling  over  into  the  ashes  and  spilling  a 
fine  savory  stew  of  crocodile,  monkey,  and  red  peppers.  All  the 
natives  were  eagerly  crowding  around  some  happening  of  great 
interest.  Upon  my  arrival  I  found  two  young  warriors  fiercely 
engaged  in  single  combat.  They  already  presented  a  ghastly  ap- 
pearance, both  had  been  so  slashed  over  the  head  and  body  that 
their  bodies  were  flooded  with  crimson,  and  the  ground  at  their  feet 
had  become  saturated  with  their  blood.  There  was  no  need  of  my 
interference,  for  utter  exhaustion  had  compelled  a  cessation  of 
the  contest.  They  stood  staggering  face  to  face,  their  ^word-arms 
trembling  from  weakness,  when  one  of  them  gasped  out  that  he 
was  beaten,  and  their  friends  helped  them  back  to  their  huts.  It 
is  surprising  how  quickly  these  people  will  recover  from  such 
shocking  treatment.  The  next  day  both  walked  to  my  station,  and 
I  doctored  their  wounds  with  carbolic  oil,  a  tin  of  which  I  always 
kept  ready  for  such  occasions.  This  excellent  remedy  I  smeared 
on  with  a  varnish  brush. 

The  cause  of  this  fight  I  learned  was  the  utterance  of  a  male- 
diction. The  two  men  had  fallen  into  hot  dispute,  and  one  of 
them  had  said,  "Owa  na  ntolo"  (May  you  die  of  sleeping  sickness). 
I  must  here  explain  that  this  is  a  mysterious  disease  peculiar  to 
Africa,  and  incurable  even  by  the  cunning  of  their  charm  doctors. 
A  native  apparently  in  the  best  of  health  will  be  suddenly  attacked 
"by  a  continual  desire  to  sleep,  and  within  a  very  few  weeks  he 
will  be  so  overcome  by  the  malady  that  he  will  only  wake  up  oc- 
casionally from  sound  sleep  into  a  dreamy  stupor,  which  period 
is  occupied  in  the  voracious  consumption  of  food,  and  while  thus 
engaged  he  will  fall  off  again  into  his  previous  comatose  state. 
One  so  afflicted  rapidly  wastes  away  to  a  mere  skeleton,  and  then 
dies. 


A  CONGO  LEGEND.  141 

This  disease  is  held  in  such  dread  by  the  natives  that  it  has  been 
embodied  into  one  of  their  bitterest  curses,  and  no  man  expresses 
his  hatred  for  another  in  the  insulting  form  of  "  Owa  na  ntolo" 
(May  you  die  of  the  sleeping  sickness),  without  first  grasping  his 
knife  in  readiness,  as  this  utterance  is  a  direct  challenge  to  fight, 
and  no  one  but  a  coward  will  fail  to  accept  it. 

With  regard  to  the  contraction  of  debts  the  natives  had  a  curi- 
ous tradition,  connecting  defaulters  with  the  origin  of  the  gorilla. 
When  a  chief  contracts  a  debt  and  refuses  to  pay,  his  creditor  will 
lay  in  wait  and  obtain  payment  by  capturing  one  of  the  debtor's 
slaves ;  but  occasionally  a  poor  man,  unable  to  pay,  fearing  lest  he 
himself  may  be  pounced  upon  and  sold  into  serfdom,  will  leave 
his  village  and  try  and  make  his  way  to  some  far  off  settlement  and 
thus  escape  his  creditors.  The  large  monkey  called  the  Soko,  if  we 
are  to  believe  the  Congo  negro,  is  descended  from  a  man  who  in 
ages  past,  having  unfortunately  drifted  into  debt  and  difficulty  in 
his  village,  fled  to  the  woods  to  escape  his  creditors,  and  while 
waiting  for  his  troubles  to  blow  over,  his  limbs  altered  in  shape 
and  his  body  became  covered  with  long  hairs. 

The  Soko  is  of  the  gorilla  type,  brown-haired,  large-eared,  with 
round  face,  smooth  except  the  eyebrows,  and  a  scanty  beard.  The 
women  are  much  frightened  at  the  sight  of  this  animal  and  clutch 
their  babes  fearfully  to  their  bosoms,  as  they  are  persuaded  that 
very  small  children  are  the  only  property  the  transformed  debtor 
now  attempts  to  lay  hands  on;  these,  they  say,  he  will  catch 
and  carry  to  the  topmost  bough  of  some  tall  tree.  To  recover  pos- 
session of  an  infant  the  Soko  must  be  humored.  If  approached 
with  threatening  gestures  by  the  natives  he  will  hurl  it  in  rage  to 
the  ground,  but  if  it  is  left  to  him  to  decide,  the  child  will  be  re- 
turned unhurt  by  its  captor.  The  habits  of  these  strange  creat- 
ures certainly  afford  some  foundation  for  the  exaggerated  state- 
ments which  the  superstitious  African  makes  about  them.  I  my- 
self have  seen  a  family  of  them  at  early  morn  clustered  for 
warmth  round  a  camp-fire  which  has  been  left  smoldering  ]»y  some 
fishermen,  but  they  have  not  intelligence  enough  to  maintain  the 
fire  by  a  fresh  supply  of  fuel. 


142  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

The  actions  of  these  animals  are  certainly  very  remarkable.  I 
have  heard  a  family  of  them  making  a  peculiar  noise  like  the  rat- 
tle of  drums,  which  is  produced  by  beating  on  their  chests.  Sud- 
denly these  sounds  would  cease,  evidently  at  a  given  signal  from 
the  leader  of  their  Simian  orchestra,  then  the  air  would  be  filled 
with  shrill  cries,  such  as  one  hears  from  a  large  gathering  of 
school-children  when  lesson  time  is  over,  and  they  find  themselves 
in  the  open  air  again  and  their  time  is  their  own  for  play. 

There  is  a  fruit  they  are  very  fond  of  called  Mapambo ;  this  grows 
on  a  tall  tree  with  slender  trunk ;  the  natives  say  that  the  Soke  save 
themselves  the  bother  of  climbing  after  the  fruit  by  shaking  it 
down.  They  are  also  credited  with  covering  the  ground  with  big 
broad  leaves,  making  a  carpet  on  w^hich  to  sit  in  some  shady  spot 
during  the  heat  of  the  day.  Of  course,  all  such  accounts  are  nec- 
essarily exaggerated,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  this  Soke,  which  I 
am  convinced  is  the  veritable  gorilla,  is  gifted  with  unusual  cun- 
ning. Bongo  Nsanda,  who  had  had  great  experience  with  all 
kinds  of  animals,  endeavoring  to  give  me  undoubted  evidence  of 
the  high-classed  intellect  of  the  Soke,  pointed  to  a  large  leaf  grow- 
ing like  a  mushroom,  told  me  that  mamma  gorilla  will  carry  her 
haby  in  one  arm  and  shelter  its  little  head  from  the  sun  with  one 
of  these  leaves  by  holding  it  by  the  stalk  as  an  umbrella.  My 
experience  with  gorillas  was  not  extensive.  I  saw  and  heard 
numbers  at  a  distance,  but  they  are  very  wary  and  I  only  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  one,  which  took  two  men  to  carry ;  the  natives 
would  not  eat  him,  though  their  palate  craves  for  monke}' ;  they 
told  me,  unlike  the  tribes  of  the  far  interior,  they  were  not  can- 
nibals. 

In  every  village  in  this  section  of  the  land  will  be  found  slaves 
of  both  sexes  with  an  ear  cut  off.  This  is  a  popular  form  of  pun- 
ishment; in  an  African  village  it  is  not  at  all  unusual  to  hear  such 
threats  as,  "  I  will  cut  your  ear  off,  I  will  sell  you  or  I  will  kill 
you,"  find  often  they  are  said  in  earnest.  As  I  always  openly 
proclaimed  my  sympathy  for  the  slaves  in  the  village  and  lost 
no  opportunity  to  condemn  the  cruel  treatment  of  their  masters, 
the  oppressed  creatures  were  always  very  well  disposed  toward  me. 


THE  SLAVE'S  DEATH. 


143 


They 

have 

often 

told   me 

that    the 

chieftains 

did  not   look 

upon     them     as 

human   beings. 

but  considered  their 

live  of  no  more  con 


been  bound  round  with  all  the  cloth  the  deceased  had 
left,  and  was  ready  for  interment.     In  the  morning 
the  young   slave  was  busy  digging  the   grave, 
and  as  he  completed  the  pit  one  of  the  by- 
standers   at   a   given    signal    plunged    liis 
spear  into  the  poor  young  fellow's  heart, 
and  he  fell  back  dead  into  the  pit  he  had 
just  dug  for  his  master. 

The  native  of  Central  Africa  is  not 

troubled  with  a  large  wardrobe ;  his 

outfit  for  a  three  months'  journey 

is  not  at  all  elaborate.     Even  a 

change  of  loin-cloths  is  not  a 

necessity.    With  a  mat  to  roll 

in  at  night,  and  weapons  to 


cern   than    that    of    a 
goat   or   fowl.    One  told 
me   of    an    incident   that 
had  occurred  a  few  months 
previous    to    my  arrival    at 
Lukolela.      An   old   chief   had 
died,  leaving  behind  him    only 
one  slave,  a  fine,  stalwart  young 
fellow.     Upon  the  night  before  the 
burial,  a  council  of  head  men,  pre 
sided   over  by  the  charm  doctor,  de- 
cided that  the  deceased's  funeral  ought 
to  be  signalized  by  human  sacrifice,  and 
it  was  secretly  decided  that  the  only  slave 
he  possessed  should  be  taken  unawares  and 
executed  for  this  purpose;  the  next  day  was 
arranged   for  the  funeral,  the  dead  body  had 


defend    himself    and    kill 
game   and   fish,    and  an 
earthen  cooking  pot,  he 
feels  he  has   all    his 
wants    supplied: 
such     preparation 
is   a  great    con- 
trast to  the  kit 
required     b  y 
the  man  of 


c  i  v  i  1  i  z  a- 

t  i  o  n  , 

whose 


CONGO    Sl'KARS. 


144  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

prospect  of  a  two  weeks'  journey  throws  the  whole  household  into 
a  state  of  bewilderment,  in  their  efforts  to  collect  blankets,  shirts, 
suits  of  clothes,  shoes,  hats,  brushes,  and  a  hundred  and  one 
articles  naturally  and  reasonably  required  as  companions. 

It  is  curious  to  have  one's  workmen  all  armed  to  the  teeth. 
When  building  clay  houses,  or  making  stockades,  I  always  em- 
ployed the  natives  from  the  neighboring  villages  and  when  my  bugle 
sounded  at  sunrise  in  the  morning  they  would  appear  in  front  of  my 
house  in  line  ready  to  be  told  off  to  their  duty  of  the  day.  Every 
one  carried  a  weapon  of  some  sort ;  some  had  knives  and  spears, 
others  bows  and  arrows  and  shields.  Whilst  actually  at  work  they 
would  take  off  their  arms  and  lay  them  down  within  reach,  for  a 
signal  drum,  in  a  village  near  by,  might  call  them  hurriedly  home 
in  defense  of  their  huts.  These  people  have  a  saying  that  the  un- 
armed man  is  a  woman,  and  should  go  to  the  plantation  and  dig 
up  sweet  potatoes. 

Rivalries  and  fights  are  by  no  means  confined  to  human  beings. 
Far  away  from  the  village  huts  the  cries  of  the  savage  animals  of 
African  jungles  engaged  in  deadly  combat  often  break  the  silence 
of  those  wild  regions.  The  unwieldly  hippopotamus,  strolling 
along  a  buffalo  path,  is  charged  unawares  by  one  of  those  ill-tem- 
pered animals.  The  dispute  culminates  in  a  duel  between  the 
hippo's  keen,  gleaming  tusks  and  the  sharp-pointed  horns  of  the 
buffalo  bull. 

The  result  of  such  an  encounter  depends  usually  upon  the  ad- 
vantage given  by  the  lay  of  the  land  to  one  of  the  combatants ;  as, 
should  the  buffalo  have  an  unimpeded  rush  at  his  enemy,  the 
hippo  would  receive  such  a  blow  as  would  render  his  ultimate  dis- 
patch a  very  easy  matter.  But  should  the  slower  moving  but 
heavier  hippopotamus  have  any  opportunity  to  use  his  formidable 
tusks,  the  buffalo  would  have  no  chance  at  all.  I  remember  hear- 
ing such  an  encounter ;  I  did  not  actually  witness  the  fray,  but  a 
visit  to  the  scene  of  it  after  the  battle  was  a  sufficient  proof  that 
the  fight  had  been  fierce  and  protracted.  The  ground  was  broken 
and  torn  up  in  every  direction ;  saplings,  grass,  and  bushes  were 
crushed  and  stamped  into  the  muddy  ground. 


A  BUFFALO  DUEL.  115 

Bon^o  Nsanda  once  brought  me  in  some  fresh  meat  which  he 
had  obtained  in  rather  a  curious  way.  Whilst  fishing  in  a  lagoon 
he  saw  two  buffaloes  fighting  savagely  on  a  clear  patch  of  ground 
near  the  shore.  After  a  stubborn  contest  one  animal  fell  fatally 
wounded,  and  the  victor  trotted  away  into  the  long  grass,  leaving 
the  vanquished  one  in  such  a  crippled  condition  that  my  black 
hunting  friend  put  him  out  of  his  misery  by  a  thrust  of  his  heavy 
spear,  and,  of  course,  took  all  the  meat,  and  no  doubt  felt  thank- 
ful that  a  buffalo's  ill-temper  had  so  replenished  his  larder. 

These  so-called  buffalo  do  not  resemble  at  all  the  heavy-necked, 
shaggy -headed  bison  of  America.  They  w^ould  be  more  correctly 
termed  bush  cattle,  for  they  resemble  very  closely  the  domestic 
animal,  varying  in  color  from  a  dark  cream  to  a  dark  brown,  M-ith 
very  neat  limbs  and  a  pretty  head.  With  their  short  but  very 
sharp  horns  they  remind  one  very  forcibly  of  the  ordinary  cow. 
But  they  are  very  fierce  in  nature,  and  when  they  have  young 
they  w^ill  attack  unprovoked.  As  a  rule,  when  wounded  they  look 
about  for  an  enemy,  and  very  often  charge  about  in  the  grass  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  hunter,  seeking  for  some  clew  to  his  where- 
abouts, and  if  you  do  not  succeed  in  dropping  them  tlie  results 
may  be  very  serious. 

In  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Congo,  when  the  wet  season,  or 
"Mpila,"  is  prolonged,  the  river  rises  to  a  great  height,  flooding 
huge  tracts  of  bush  and  plain,  and  compelling  the  different  wild 
animals  to  assume  for  the  time  an  amphibious  nature,  as  they 
must  swim  from  place  to  place  in  search  of  food. 

During  the  continuance  of  such  a  season  the  natives  are  enabled 
to  kill  off  a  great  many  buffaloes.  They  will  surround  a  small  herd 
that  happens  to  be  swimming  together.  Then  they  throw  long 
wooden  poles  in  the  water  all  around  the  animals  to  liamper  their 
progress  and  exhaust  them.  A  buffalo,  under  these  conditions,  is 
a  very  harmless  creature,  and  is  easily  approached  and  killed  by 
the  natives  with  a  spear  thrust. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  see  an  elephant  swimming  across  the  river ; 
and  this  monster  is  as  helpless  as  any  when  away  from  terra 
firma.     He  has  very  little  posver  when  in  deep  water,  as.  in  order 


146  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

to  breathe,  he  must  keep  his  trunk  raised  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  is  thus  deprived  of  a  formidable  weapon. 

Hunting  is  always  a  popular  topic  of  conversation  in  Africa. 
I  remember  when  in  1883  I  was  at  Vivi,  our  lower  Congo  depot,  a 
great  deal  was  said  about  sport  at  the  dining  table.  A  friend  of 
mine  was  an  attentive  listener ;  he  had  just  arrived  from  Europe 
full  of  big  ideas  as  to  his  hunting  capabilities. 

Somebody  made  the  remark  that  it  was  very  strange,  considering 
the  number  of  men  who  posed  as  hunters,  that  the  larder  of  the 
station  never  received  any  benefit  from  it.  Said  he :  "  There  are 
any  amount  of  guinea  fowls  within  a  mile  from  this  station.  You 
have  only  got  to  go  over  the  hill  and  down  into  the  opposite  valley 
and  you  can  always  find  them."  This  piece  of  intelligence  seemed 
to  rouse  my  friend's  spirit  and  ambition.  He  decided  within  him- 
self that  he  would  keep  the  secret  to  himself,  but  that  he  meant  to 
kill  some  guinea  fowls.  So,  the  next  morning,  he  harnessed  him- 
self with  his  gun,  game-bag,  knife,  pistol,  and  the  usual  parapher- 
nalia necessary  to  hunting  in  Africa,  and,  taking  with  him  his 
black  servant  with  spare  ammunition  and  another  game-bag,  he 
sallied  forth  early  in  the  morning,  climbed  the  hill,  and  got  down 
into  the  hunting-ground  mentioned  the  previous  evening.  He 
was  immediately  rewarded  with  a  sight  which  cheered  him  up 
and  put  him  into  a  state  of  great  nervous  excitement,  for  there, 
within  fifty  yards  of  him,  was  a  brilliant-plumaged  bird,  wander- 
ing about  on  a  spit  of  sand,  unconscious  of  its  wily  pursuer.  Our 
hunter  immediatelyy  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  compelling  his 
servant  to  do  the  same.  Then  with  a  few  serpentine  wriggles  he 
managed  to  get  behind  a  stone.  Here  he  staid  for  a  second  or 
two  to  regain  his  breath ;  and  again  stealthily  wriggled  up  to 
some  other  cover.  Now,  he  was  within  ten  yards  of  the  still 
unconscious  feathered  one,  and,  there  being  no  other  cover  by 
which  he  might  approach  nearer,  he  decided  upon  firing,  at  the 
same  time  giving  himself  great  credit  for  having  stalked  so  suc- 
cessfully, and  wondering  at  the  difficulties  that  other  people 
found,  placing  it  liberally  to  the  credit  of  their  imagination.  His 
gun  was  loaded  with  number  one  shot,  so  he  took  a  long,  steady 


STALKING  A  TAME  DUCK.  147 

aim,  and  fired.  With  ecstasies  he  gathered  up  the  results,  and  fled 
back  with  news  of  his  triumph  to  the  station.  Breathless  and  over- 
heated with  his  excitement,  he  arrived  in  the  midst  of  a  little 
group  of  white  men  who  were  talking  together.  For  a  few 
moments  he  did  not  speak ;  he  simply  held  up  to  their  amazed 
view  the  result  of  the  chase,  triumph  beaming  in  his  eye.  When, 
however,  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  himself  to  speak  he  said, 
*'  You  fellows  are  all  talk.  You  talk  about  your  guinea  fowl  hunt- 
ing, but  you  never  do  anything.  You  see  I  have  been  up  in  the 
morning  before  you  were  up,  and  have  shot  this  guinea  fowl." 
He  was  surprised  to  see  that  a  burst  of  laughter  was  the  reception 
given  him  for  this  piece  of  information,  and  he  felt  considerably 
galled  when  he  was  informed  that  he  had  shot  one  of  the  station 
ducks. 

Hippopotami,  when  guarding  their  young,  are  excessively  spite- 
ful, and  attack  the  natives'  canoes,  very  often  upsetting  them  and 
killing  the  occupants.  I  remember  one  morning  at  a  much  earlier 
time  than  I  was  accustomed  to  rise,  Bongo  Nsanda  woke  me  by 
hammering  on  my  door  with  the  butt  of  his  spear.  AVhen  I  let 
him  in  he  said  tome:  "  Ngubu  mbi  akujala  iisi  ina"  !  (There  is  a 
very  bad  hippopotamus  on  the  other  side  of  the  river).  Then  he 
told  me  that  early  that  morning  a  fisherman,  while  in  his  canoe 
attending  to  his  nets,  was  chased  by  this  animal.  The  frightened 
fisherman,  paddled  with  all  his  might  to  avoid  his  fierce  pursuer, 
and  had  just  touched  the  bank  with  the  nose  of  his  canoe  when 
the  furious  old  hippo,  with  his  great  bony  jaws,  seized  the  stern 
of  the  frail  canoe  with  a  terrible  crunch.  Fortunately,  the  fisher- 
man kept  his  balance,  and  was  shot  out  of  his  canoe  a  distance  of 
several  feet  and  landed  high  and  dry  on  the  bank.  The  hippo, 
baffled  in  his  attempt  to  overtake  the  native,  smashed  and  tram- 
pled to  pieces  the  little  dug-out,  as  if  to  show  the  trembling  wretch 
who  had  sought  shelter  in  a  tree-top,  the  kind  of  treatment  he 
would  have  received  if  good  fortune  had  not  befriended  him. 
This  piece  of  information  was  held  out  to  me  as  an  inducement  to 
rid  mankind  of  so  formidable  a  foe,  but  it  was,  of  course,  the 
prospect  of  hippo  stew  and  roast,  that  prompted  my  hunter  to  feel 


148  IN'  SA  VA  GE  AFRICA . 

such  an  interest  in  the  occasion.  His  fellow-man's  acrobatic  per- 
formance resulting  from  an  old  hippo's  angry  ways  did  not  com- 
mand his  sympathy  to  any  great  extent. 

"Yo  ku-buma  ye  te,  Makula?"  (Won't  you  kill  him,  Makula?) 
asked  Bongo  Nsanda,  using  my  native  name.  I  felt  now,  with  my 
experience,  I  could  safely  pit  my  Martini  rifle  against  an}""  hippo 
on  the  river,  no  matter  how  terrible  his  reputation  might  be.  So 
I  crossed  the  river  in  my  large  canoe,  fearing  to  use  my  small  one, 
lest  the  ill-conditioned  old  fellow  might  pitch  me  into  the  air,  and 
perhaps  select  a  locality  which  had  not  the  advantage  of» present- 
ing soft  sand  or  grass  on  which  to  break  my  fall.  In  case  he 
should  charge,  I  felt  sure  that  my  present  canoe  would  stand 
sound  and  steady. 

When  I  reached  the  other  side,  there  was  our  eneiny  on  guard 
over  a  little  bay.  I  put  my  canoe  in-shore,  just  below  the  creek 
where  he  was  swimming  with  his  head  hardly  above  water;  then, 
creeping  silently  along  the  edge  of  the  grass,  I  arrived  in  a  position 
where  I  could  get  a  good  shot  at  him.  I  fired,  and  struck  him  in 
the  head ;  my  ball  hit  the  skull  where  the  bone  was  thickest,  and 
only  maddened  the  brute.  He  charged  about  in  the  shallow  water 
near  the  bank,  snorting,  and  churning  up  the  muddy  stream. 
Bongo  Nsanda  stood  ready  with  his  heavy  loaded  spear,  and  as 
the  hippo  came  forward  endeavoring  to  find  the  hiding-place  of 
the  enemy  who  had  wounded  him,  Bongo  !N"sanda  hurled  his  spear 
in  behind  the  brute's  shoulder,  the  keen  blade  piercing  the  body 
to  the  heart.  The  fishermen,  attracted  by  the  gunshot,  were  de- 
lighted to  see  their  old  enemy  killed,  and  a  deep-drawn  sigh  of 
relief  escaped  from  the  man  who  but  the  day  before  had  been 
compelled  by  the  hippopotamus  to  make  such  an  undignified 
landing  from  his  canoe,  and  the  old  fellow  forgot  his  recent  tum- 
ble as  he  enjoyed  the  substantial  revenge  of  eating  toasted  slices 
from  the  fat  carcass  of  his  ungainly  enemy. 

I  remember,  at  this  hunt,  my  men  found  that  they  had  left  all 
their  pipes  at  home ;  they  had  fire  and  tobacco,  but  no  means  of 
smoking ;  they  were  very  much  amused  at  my  suggestion  of  using 
a  rifle  for  the  purpose  by  placing  the  tobacco   in  the  breech  and 


THE  CONGO  FREE  STATE. 


149 


using  the  barrel  as  the  stem.  This  was  tried  and  found  to  be  a 
very  satisfactory  method  in  such  an  emergency. 

I  had  now  lived  for  two  years  at  Lukolela.  Great  strides  liad 
been  made  on  the  Congo  since  I  first  arrived,  in  '83.  The  natives 
of  the  wild  regions  of  the  Congo  Basin,  who  had  never  seen  a 
white  man  until  '77,  when  Stanley  passed  through  their  country 
on  his  marvelous  journey  "Througli  the  Dark  Continent,"  having 
placed  themselves  under  the  protection  of  Stanley's  expedition, 
"L'Association  In- 
ternationale A  i  r  i- 
caine,"  had  by 
treaties  ceded  their 
territory  to  this  so- 
ciety. In  1885,  tliis 
territory  was  recog- 
nized by  all  the 
civilized  powers  as 
"L'Etat  Independ- 
ant  du  Congo"  (The 
Congo  Free  Slate). 

In  1885  the  Berlin 
Conference  dis- 
tinctly defined  the 

limits  of  this  new  State,  and  this  part  of  equatorial  Africa  was 
then  exempt  from  European  disputes.  Better  transport  on  the 
lower  river  was  being  organized,  and  new  steamers  were  con- 
stantly being  built  and  launched  on  the  Upper  Congo.  The  State 
had  added  "Le  Stanley,"  a  stern-wheeler,  seventy  feet  long,  to 
their  fleet;  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission  had  built  and  floated 
their  steamer  the  "Henry  Reed;"  and  besides  these,  tlie  Baptist 
Mission  twin-screw  steamer  "Peace"  was  already  navigating  tlie 
river. 

This  increased  service  of  boats  greatly  improved  the  means  of 
communication  between  the  Stations.  Letters  were  now  received 
every  three  or  four  months.  Only  those  wljo  have  traveled  far 
away  from  home  and  dear  friends  can  understand  the   pleasure   a 


A    NOVKI,    TOliACCO    I'lTE. 


150  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

letter  gives  to  one  surrounded  by  wild  and  ignorant  people,  with 
whom,  no  matter  how  friendly  they  may  be,  he  has  no  thought  or 
feeling  in  common. 

At  times  when  one  feels  indeed  isolated  and  cut  off,  the  arrival 
of  home  letters  puts  him  again  in  touch  with  the  dear  ones  at 
home.  If  disappointed  in  receiving  a  mail,  we  try  to  account  for 
the  failure  by  gloomy  suggestions,  or  think,  Why  have  I  not  re- 
ceived a  letter?— perhaps  because  of  severe  illness  or  even  death! 
A  steamer  will  sometimes  arrive  without  letters.  Intense  is  the 
suspense  of  a  disappointed  man,  until  the  next  arrival  of  a 
steamer.  Friends  are  utterly  unable  to  imagine  the  amount  of 
pleasure  they  convey  to  the  wanderer  in  distant  climes  by  a 
thoughtful  little  note  of  kindness  from  home.  The  postal  service, 
in  wild,  far-away  countries,  is  erratic  and  unreliable.  Sometimes 
six  months  will  elapse  without  an  opportunity  of  sending  letters 
up  into  the  interior.  But  the  little  packet  of  letters  is  all  the 
more  heartily  welcomed  after  months  of  anxious  waiting. 

My  station  at  Lukolela  had  been  founded  in  order  to  secure 
rights  to  a  certain  territory  by  occupation  of  it,  but  now  the  lim- 
its of  the  Congo  Free  State  and  of  French  and  Portuguese  posses- 
sions in  this  part  of  Africa  had  been  definitely  settled,  several 
posts  founded  for  similar  reasons  were  to  be  abandoned,  as  the 
object  for  which  they  were  built  had  been  attained.  It  was  a 
great  blow  for  me  to  know  that  Lukolela  was  among  the  doomed. 
I  received  orders  from  headquarters  that  I  was  to  proceed  one 
hundred  miles  down-river  to  Bolobo,  with  my  garrison  and  all  its 
belongings.  It  was  further  intimated  that  a  small  steel  boat 
would  be  placed  at  my  disposal  for  the  transportation.  The 
natives  of  Lukolela  and  the  surrounding  country,  with  all  of 
whom  I  was  on  the  best  of  terms,  gathered  together  and  pro- 
tested most  strongly  against  my  leaving  them ;  they  offered  me 
all  kinds  of  inducements  to  stay.  Ivory,  goats,  sheep,  fowls, 
bananas,  were  to  be  mine,  ad  libitum,  if  only  I  would  remain. 
But  although  I  regretted  leaving  a  people  who  showed  so  many 
proofs  of  affection  for  me,  the  orders  were  imperative  and  there- 
fore had  to  be  obeyed. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  LUKOLELA. 


151 


We  exchanged  parting  gifts.  luka,  Mungaba,  :\[puke,  Man- 
jimba,  all  brought  their  goats  and  sheep,  and  Bongo  Nsanda,  the 
courageous  and  faithful  hunter,  who  had  many  a  time  occupied  a 
dangerous  corner  with  me  in  the  tangled  grass  or  the  dark  jungles 
of  the  neighboring  forest,  gave  me  his  long  cherished  spear  as  a 
keepsake. 

Our  departure  from  Lukolela  was  as  grotesque  as  it  was  sad. 
The  natives  crowded  along  the  river-bank,  all  with  sorrowful 
countenances,  exchanging  parting  words  with  us  as  wo  dropped 
down-stream.  The  means  I  had  at  my  disposal  for  the  removal 
of  my  garrison  were  one  steel  whale-boat,  twenty-five  feet 
long,  and  one  large  dug-out  canoe;  and  in  these  were  to  be 
conveyed  twenty  men,  goats,  sheep,  fowls,  ducks,  furniture,  my 
own  belongings,  and  those  of  my  men.  We  looked  like  an  itiner- 
ant menagerie  or  troupe  ot  tumblers.  Men,  tables,  chairs,  goats, 
ducks,  boxes,  mats,  etc.,  were  all  mixed  up  so  indescribably  that 
the  superstitious  natives  along  the  banks  of  the  river  above 
Bolobo  fled  in  dismay  as  the  tangled  mass  of  men,  animals,  and 
freight  piled  into  two  small  boats,  floated  past  their  villages. 


^^~<?f>^<^*': 


KMVtS   ANU   lLLU  rUUM  TIIL;  FAR   INTEIUoK. 


CONGO  PADDLES  AND  BAILEE. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

BOLOEO. 

A  TRIP  DOWN  STREAM— Robbed  by  a  hippo— Liebeechts  at  Bolobo  Station— " Ibaka"— 
(HARM  WORSHIP— '-The  Red  Opera  Hat"— Charged  by  a  buffalo— The  baby's  bath- 
Taken  BY'  a  CROCODILE— Abandon  Bolobo— Visit  to  Bangala— Native  Carriers- A 
TRIP  TO  England. 

Our  iournev  down  from  Lukolela  to  Bolobo  was  bv  no  means  a 
pleasure-trip,  the  whale-boat  was  so  overcrowded  and  top-heavy 
with  the  crew,  goats,  and  furniture,  etc..  that  it  required  very 
careful  management  to  maintain  the  craft  in  trim  at  all,  but  we 
were  favored  by  fine  weather  and  smooth  water,  so  crept  slowly 
on  without  accident.  Herds  of  drowsy  hippopotami  huddled  to- 
gether in  the  shadows  and  sequestered  inlets,  grunted  and  snorted 
angrily  as  the  splash  of  the  oars  and  boatman's  songs  disturbed 
their  comfortable  snooze.  I  took  the  precaution,  however,  to  avoid 
these  animals  as  much  as  possible,  as  our  decks  were  not  "cleared 
for  fighting,"  and,  though  several  of  their  great  heads  offered  a 
very  inviting  shot  as  they  arose  out  of  the  water  to  get  a  good 
view  of  the  crowded  miscellany  floatimr  through  their  domains, 
yet  I  preferred  to  postpone  shooting  till  the  opportunity  was  more 
favorable,  as  a  wounded  hippo  would  certainly  have  resented  my 
ill-treatment  of  him,  by  ripping  a  hole  in  the  metal  plates  of  the 
boat. 

We  were  destined,  however,  before  we  reached  Bolobo,  to 
experience  another  adventure  with  these  animals.     Every  evening 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  HIPPOPOTAMUS.  153 

we  selected  a  nice  camping-place  on  the  river-bank,  anchored  our 
boat  on  the  beach,  gathered  up  a  pile  of  dry  wood  for  cooking  pur- 
poses and  pitched  the  tents  in  preparation  for  the  night's  stay ;  at 
this  season  the  mosquitoes  were  extremely  numerous  and  vora- 
cious, and  we  were  compelled  to  sleep  under  the  protection  of 
gauze  curtains;  several  of  my  men  had  clubbed  together  and 
made  out  of  thin  cloth  a  large  tent  with  a  square  top ;  this  was 
raised  into  position  and  suspended  from  long  stakes  driven  in 
the  ground  at  each  corner.  The  sides,  of  course,  fell  to  the  ground 
and  prevented  the  tormenting  insects  from  getting  inside. 

When  the  men  had  completed  their  cooking  and  duly  disposed 
of  it,  they  would  creep  into  this  mosquito  bar. 

On  one  occasion  about  midnight,  when  all  the  camp  fires  had 
burned  low  and  even  the  most  talkative  of  the  crew  had  exhausted 
their  stock  of  yarns  and  had  gone  to  sleep,  I  was  suddenly  awak- 
ened by  a  fearful  confusion  of  yelling  and  hurried  activity ;  the 
whole  camping-ground  was  enjoying  a  state  of  uproarious  excite- 
ment. Amid  the  deafening  shouts  I  could  recognize  the  frequent 
utterance  of  the  word  Xgubu  (hippopotamus),  and  I  knew  at  once 
that  one  of  these  unwieldly  monsters  was  in  some  way  responsi- 
ble for  the  rude  disturbance  of  the  nocturnal  silence. 

Hastily  dressing,  I  joined  my  men  to  learn  the  true  cause  of  the 
extraordinary  tumult.  A  few  hundred  yards  back  from  our  camp 
there  was  a  large  swamp,  and  every  night  herds  of  hippopotami 
visited  this  place  in  search  of  the  succulent  grass,  for  upon  such 
herbs  thev  subsist  entirely.  One  of  these  animals,  evidently  of  a 
roving  disposition,  had  left  the  herd  and  was  wandering  about 
the  forest  and  had  evidently  come  suddenly  in  view  of  our  camp,  and 
had  made  a  hasty  rush  for  the  safety  of  the  river,  but  in  making 
his  escape  he  ran  foul  of  the  big  mosquito  net  and  continued 
his  ungainly  retreat  with  his  huge  body  wrftpped  in  the  entan- 
gled folds  of  about  forty  square  yards  of  cotton  stuff.  My  men, 
unceremoniously  robbed  of  their  cherished  shelter,  and  trampled 
into  wakefulness  by  the  hippo's  heavy  feet,  had  ample  reason  for 
their  intense  bewildment.  When  I  appeared  on  the  scene  many  of 
them  had  not  vet  fullv  realized  the  true  nature  of  the  excitement. 


154  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

and  had  climbed  into  trees  in  order  to  conduct  any  further  medita- 
tions in  safety.  The  okl  hippo,  with  head  smothered  in  the  cotton 
stuff  and  trailing  behind  him  several  yards  of  the  texture,  iiad 
plunged  into  the  water  and  was  in  as  utterly  disturbed  a  frame 
of  mind  as  those  whom  he  had  unintentionally  robbed  and  ex- 
posed to  the  torment  of  mosquitoes ;  the  wet  material,  which  clung 
stubbornly  to  his  hide,  angered  the  brute  till  he  roared  with  rage 
as  he  threw  his  body  nearly  out  of  the  water,  striving  to  free  him- 
self. His  noisy  behavior  warned  the  remainder  of  the  herd  that 
some  strange  element  was  in  the  district,  and  a  general  stampede 
took  place  from  the  swamp  to  the  river.  They  passed  close  to  us,  but 
we  were  spared  another  visit  in  our  camp.  When  these  animals, 
of  which  there  were  about  a  score,  saw  the  strange  predicament 
of  their  muffled  companion,  they  fled  from  him,  and  grunting, 
and  snorting,  swam  away  down  stream.  Finally  the  animal  disen- 
gaged himself  from  the  cloth,  the  waters  became  quiet  again, 
and  the  old  hippo  started  away  to  join  the  others  and  give  them,  I 
suppose,  an  explanation  of  his  recent  strange  behavior.  There 
was  no  more  sleep  for  my  men  that  night ;  the  visit  of  the  hippo 
and  the  exposure  to  mosquito  bites,  to  which  the  loss  of  their  tent 
subjected  them,  maintained  them  in  an  unusual  state  of  vigilance. 
There  were  several  false  alarms  before  daybreak,  but  the  men 
were  so  agitated  that  they  sought  safety  in  the  trees  at  the  croak 
of  a  bull-frog  or  the  chirp  of  a  cricket.  Every  man  imagined  he 
had  been  trampled  on  by  the  hippo;  but  their  escape  was  quite 
miraculous,  for  although  the  animal  had  passed  right  amongst  the 
sleeping  figures,  only  three  of  them  were  touched,  and  even  their 
injuries  were  very  slight. 

At  a  largo  village  called  Moi,  which  we  visited  on  our  way 
down,  my  blood  brotherhood  with  a  Lukolela  chieftain  proved 
of  great  service  to  me.  The  natives  objected  to  our  landing  on 
their  territory,  although  I  explained  that  I  merely  wished  to 
obtain  from  them  fowls  and  fruit  in  exchange  for  my  cloth  and 
beads.  At  first  they  adopted  arguments  offensive  but  purely  ver- 
bal ;  but  finding  that  such  means  did  not  seem  to  influence  us, 
their  manner  became  threatening,  a  few  knives  were  drawn  and 


A  SKIRMISH  PREVENTED.  155 

Spears  poised  in  readiness.     I  ordered  my  men  to  load  their  rifles 
in  preparation  for  our  defense.    This  action  on  our  part  seemed  a 
direct  declaration  of  war  to  those  on  shore,  and  they  seized  their 
weapons  and  made  ready  to  fight  from  behind  the  shelter  of  trees 
and  rocks.    Recognizing  the  old  chief  in  the  crowd,  1  called  to  him 
that  I  was  a  blood  brother  of  Mungaba  of  Lukolela.    This  informa- 
tion  had   a  magic   effect.    He  sheathed  the  knife  he  had  been 
clutching  in  earnest  anger  and  ordered   his   men   to   lower  their 
spears.     He  then  came  forward  fearlessly,  and  told  me  that  Mun- 
gaba was   a  blood  brother  of  his  and  therefore  we  were  friends. 
We  shook  hands.     I  slept  that  night  in  the   old  fellow's  hut,  and 
during  my  stay  of  several   hours   in   his   settlement,  the  natives 
brought   us  food  for  sale  and  no  unpleasantness  occurred  to  mar 
the  friendship  established  by  reason  of  blood  brotherhood. 

When  I  at  last  arrived  at   my  destination,  I  was  most  heartily 
welcomed  by  my  old  friend  Lieutenant  Liebrechts,  a  Belgian  artil- 
lery officer,  who  was  in  command  of  Bolobo  Station.     I  was  right 
glad  to   shake   hands  again  with   Liebrechts;  we  were  very   old 
friends,  having  occupied  the  same  quarters  together  at  Leopold- 
ville   in   1883.     What   a   change   in   this  station  at  Bolobo  since  I 
first  saw  it  in  1883 !     There  had  been  much  trouble  between  whites 
and  natives  then,  and  the  station  houses  had  been  burned  to   the 
ground ;  even  now  the  grounds  were   encircled   by  a  high,  stout 
palisade.     Nice,   well-kept    houses    and    stores    had   been    built. 
There  were  also  flocks  of  goats  and  sheep,  good  poultry-yards  full 
of  fowls  and  ducks,  and  immense  plantations  of  sweet  potatoes, 
maize  and  peanuts,  and  gardens  of  vegetables.     What  was  more 
important   still,  the   relations  with   the  formerly  unfriendly  and 
hostile  natives  were  now  of  a  most  satisfactory  nature   in   every 

way. 

The  villagers  of   all  the   surrounding   country  were   constantly 

visiting  the  station  and  exchanging  presents. 

Markets  had  been  re-established  for  the  sale  of  food,  pottery, 
and  native  produce,  and  long-standing  feuds  between  the  differ- 
ent tribes  were  amicably  settled  by  the  happy  intervention  of 
Liebrechts.     It  is  such  as  he  who  are  required  to  gain   the   confi- 


156 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


dence  of  the  African  savage,  men  with  a  keen  sense  of  justice, 
and  the  will  to  enforce  it.  My  life  at  Bolobo  was  a  happy  one. 
Liebrechts  and  I  spent  our  time  in  visiting  the  different  chiefs, 
superintending  station  matters,  and  making  little  excursions  into 
the  interior  in  search  of  guinea-fowl,  partridges,  ducks,  or  the 
more  formidable  buffalo  of  the  plain.  I  shall  always  remember 
with  the  greatest  pleasure  our  strolls  amid  the  banana  and 
palm-groves  of  these  Central  African  villages,  our  more  extended 
tramps  through  swamps  and  forest  in  search  of  tlie  buffalo,  and 
the  pleasant  chats  we  had  over  the  sentry -fires  of  the  station. 

At  Bolobo,  in  former  days,  the  buffalo 
used  to  come  even  into  the  station.  On 
one  occasion,  there  were  three  white  men 
living  there,  and  news  was  brought  in 
that  a  herd  of  buffalo  were  just  outside. 
They  immediately  equipped  themselves 
for  the  chase  and  started  out,  following 
the  tracker.  They  had  gone  about  twenty 
yards  only,  when  they  could  see  the  ani- 
mals two  hundred  yards  away.  Before 
catching  sight  of  the  brutes  they  had 
been  eager  for  the  sport ;  but  the  nearer 
they  approached  their  game  the  more  did 
their  stock  of  valor  decrease ;  so  much  so,  that  when  they  got  well 
within  shot,  and  saw  an  old  buffalo  turn  his  head  in  their  direc- 
tion, prick  up  his  ears,  and  assume  a  very  inquiring  attitude,  one 
of  these  hunters  discovered  that  he  had  not  got  the  right  boots 
on  for  hunting.  His  companions  most  generously  offered  to  es- 
cort him  back  to  the  station  and  asssist  him  in  making  the  neces- 
sary alterations.  They  started  to  walk  back,  but  with  every 
step  the  matter  appeared  more  urgent.  They  broke  from  a  jog- 
trot into  a  regular  racing  pace.  Arrived  at  the  station,  breath 
recovered,  and  boots  found,  it  was  decided  not  to  renew  the  chase, 
as  the  delay  caused  by  this  unfortunate  oversight  had  put  them 
completely  out  of  the  vein  for  shooting ! 

Formerly,  Ibaka  was  the  most  powerful   chief  of   Bolobo   dis- 


BOI.OBO  GIRL. 


IBAKA'S  SUPERSTITIONS.  157 

trict.  His  name  vvas  mentioned  by  tlie  natives  of  the  surrounding 
villages  with  a  great  deal  of  reverential  awe.  But  his  village  had 
become  disunited ;  each  of  his  sons  was  at  enmity  with  him,  and 
Manga,  Gatula,  Lingenji,  Nkoe,  ISTgai  Utsaka,  the  chiefs  of  the 
neighboring  territory,  being  keen  traders,  had  obtained  numbers 
of  fighting  men,  and  Ibaka's  word,  which  at  one  time  com- 
manded instant  obedience,  was  now  but  little  regarded.  His  title 
of  chief  of  Bolobo  was  of  small  value ;  he  had  lost  all  influence. 
During  my  stay  at  Bolobo  many  a  time  he  applied  to  us  for  assist- 
ance against  his  neighbors,  and  on  several  occasions  he  arrived  at 
our  gates  in  full  flight,  chased  by  his  own  sons,  armed  with  heavy 
sticks,  who  sought  by  this  method  of  persuasion,  to  make  their 
father  agree  to  an  immediate  and  complete  division  of  the  little 
wealth  he  still  possessed,  or  to  gain  his  consent  to  any  other  ex- 
tortionate demand  that  might  have  suggested  itself  to  their  inven- 
tive minds. 

Poor  old  Ibaka  had  developed  into  a  well-meaning  fellow,  and 
was  now  very  favorably  disposed  toward  the  white  men.  He  was, 
indeed,  anxious  to  be  on  a  friendly  footing  with  his  white  neigh- 
bors, but  the  other  villagers  were  jealous  of  him,  and  talked  him 
into  some  trifling  but  irritating  acts  of  arrogance  toward  the  sta- 
tion, which  resulted,  a  few  months  before  my  arrival,  in  a  little 
war  between  Ibaka  and  Liebrechts,  who  was  in  command  of  the 
station.  As  a  punishment  for  his  aggressiveness,  Ibaka's  town 
was  burned  to  the  ground. 

He  was  exceedingly  superstitious,  and  kept  the  charm  doctors 
constantl;/  employed  in  devising  new  charms  to  cope  with  the 
stroke  of  misfortune  which  seemed  to  have  checked  his  career. 
Previous  to  Liebrecht's  energetic  control  of  the  district,  human 
sacrifices  were  constantly  made  to  appease  the  anger  of  evil  spir- 
its, which  gave  vent  to  their  wrath  in  thwarting  the  ambition  of 
Ibaka ;  but  the  presence  of  a  plucky  white  man  compelled  him 
to  adopt  less  bloodthirsty  measures  to  counteract  spiritual  malevo- 
lence. Among  his  miscellany  of  wonder-working  property  was 
a  large  white  rooster,  which  strutted  about  the  village  in  perfect 
safety,  for  this  bird  had  been  supplied   by  a  renowned   medicine 


158  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

man,  and  the  possession  of  it  was  said  to  have  a  most  pacifying 
influence  upon  the  Moloki;  any  one  killing  this  charmed  fowl 
would  sicken  and  die,  and  the  whole  of  Ibaka's  family  would 
suffer  some  terrible  disaster  if  any  accident  happened  to  the  bird. 
Before  eating  and  drinking,  the  old  chief  had  to  conduct  most 
elaborate  observances ;  different  colored  chalks  were  smeared  on 
his  face  or  body,  leaves  and  threads  of  plaited  fibre  were  fastened 
around  his  limbs,  rattles  and  gongs  were  sounded,  while  his  slaves 
sat  by  with  closed  eyes,  murmuring  incantations.  Near  by 
Ibaka's  hut  a  tiny  grass  roof  sheltered  three  large  earthen  jars, 
liberally  coated  with  chewed  betel  nut,  containing  birds'  claws, 
loins  of  wild  animals,  feathers,  peculiar-shaped  stones,  etc.,  a 
varied  assortment  of  articles  supplied  by  the  charm  doctor  to 
ward  off  sickness  and  ill-luck,  and  in  a  visit  to  the  village  one 
would  generally  find  Ibaka  gravely  attending  to  his  mystic  be- 
longings. 

There  is  an  institution   among  these  people  which   cannot   be 
more  correctly  described  than  by  terming   it  the  "  Order  of  the 
Tall  Hat."     There  is  in  each  district  a   chief  who  has   proved  by 
his  warlike  success  that  he,  of  all  the  chiefs,  is  the  most  power- 
ful.    A  public   acknowledgement   is   made  of   this  fact,  and   the 
elected  individual  is  carried  around  on   men's   shoulders  through 
the  different  villages,  the  bearers  proclaiming  to  all  that  he  is  the 
Mokunje  Monene  (Big  Chief),  and  that   in  future   all  tribal   dis- 
putes are  to  be  submitted  to  his   judgment.     Upon    his   return   to 
the  village,  amidst  dancing  and  singing,  and  general  feasting  and 
joy,  the  Fetishman,  or  charm  doctor,  places  on  the  chief's  head   a 
tall  hat,  resembling  the   "stovepipe"   of  civilized   countries,  but 
which  is  built  with  a  brim  at  the   crown,  and  not  at  the  base. 
This  hat  is  hereafter  worn  on  all  great  occasions,  and  the  wearer 
retains  it  until  his  death,  when   a  new  candidate   is   elected.     In 
times  gone  by  Ibaka  had  received  the  honor  of  election   to   this 
proud   order,  but,  unfortunately,  during  the   trouble   with   Lieb- 
rechts  the  towering  emblem  of   peculiar  distinction  was   burned, 
A  sympathizing  white  man,  traveling  through  the  country,  heard 
of  the  old  chief's  hatless  condition,  and  presented  him  with  a  red 


IBAKA'S  EMBLEM  OF  RANK. 


159 


opera-hat  of  exaggerated  construction,  which  had  probably  in 
years  past  formed  a  prominent  feature  in  a  pantomime  or  bur- 
lesque, or  had  been  used  with  great  effect  by  some  comic  singer 
or  wandering  minstrel. 

The  possession  of  this  truly  wonderful  creation  of  the  theatrical 
costumer  made  Ibaka  a  proud  and  happy  man.  His  delight  in  his 
new   decoration   would   have   been   unalloyed  were   it   not  for  a 


OLD    IBAKA  WITH  HIS  RED  OPERA  HAT. 


haunting  fear  that  some  one  might  steal  it.  He  kept  it.  when  not 
in  use,  in  our  station  house,  and  called  for  it  only  on  state  occa- 
sions and  big  public  drinking-bouts.  I  insisted  on  his  continual 
care  of  this  valuable  acquisition,  and  would  place  it  on  the  side 
of  his  head  for  him,  and  impress  upon  him  the  necessity  of  wear- 
ing it  in  that  position,  as  we  white  men  were  very  particular 
about  such  details.  Old  Ibaka  was  intensely  superstitious,  and 
was  constantly  with  the  Fetishman,  who  was  kept  busy  manufac- 
turing new  charms  to  protect  liim  against   imaginary  evils.     The 


160 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


poor  old  cliief  was  easily  gulled,  and  would  accept  from   anybody 
anything-  that  had  the  semblance  of  a  charm. 

One  day  Ibaka  arrived  back  from  some  prolonged  native  festi- 
val. The  old  fellow  bore  evidence  of  having  taken  more  than  his 
share  of  the  strong  wine.  He  had  worn  the  red  opera-hat  on  this 
occasion,  and  he  now  brought  it  to  the  station  to  see  it  returned 
to  its  place  of  safe-keeping.  Upon  closing  it  up  I  noticed  a  mys- 
terious little  package,  and  was  informed  that  it  was  a  "monkanda 
monganga"  (fetish  letter).  It  was,  in  fact,  a  Mohammedan  prayer, 
given  to  him  by  one  of  our  boat's  crew,  as  a  safeguard  against  all 
forms  of  death.  It  struck  me  that  a  red  opera-hat  with  a  Moham- 
medan prayer  pinned  in  it  was,  indeed,  a  strange  "  find"  in  the 
wilds  of  Central  Africa. 

Bolobo  was  a  good  hunting  field,  and  there  was  plenty  of  game 
both  large  and  small  in  the  district.  The  African  buffalo  is  the 
most  dangerous  animal  Avhich  the  hunter  will  meet  in  these  lands, 
and  a  wounded  bull  will  often  provide  within  a  very  few  minutes 
a  sufficiently  stirring  entertainment  to  gratify  the  most  fervent 
yearner  for  excitement.  Whilst  at  Bolobo  I  had  a  very  narrow 
escape  from  one  of  these  animals.  Liebrechts  and  I,  and  a  small 
party  of  blacks,  had  gone  hunting  to  some  large  prairies  about 
twelve  miles  below  the  station.  We  soon  came  upon  some  fresh 
tracks,  which  sve  followed  up,  and  finally  came  up  to  a  herd  of 
about  two  hundred  buffaloes ;  stalking  was  extremely  difficult, 
as  the  ground  upon  which  they  were  gathered  had  been  worn 
clear  of  every  tuft  of  grass  by  the  frequent  visits  of  the  animals. 
This  bare  stretch,  probably  twenty  acres  in  extent,  was  sur- 
rounded by  plains  of  long  grass. 

We  had  approached  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  unper- 
ceived,  but  there  was  no  possibility  of  creeping  nearer  without 
exposing  ourselves  to  the  view  of  the  herd,  so  I  selected  a  big 
black  bull  who  was  offering  a  fair  shot.  I  aimed  as  usual 
behind  the  shoulder  for  the  heart,  but  my  bullet  struck  the  bone  a 
little  too  far  forward ;  the  herd  stampeded  off  at  the  crack  of  the 
rifle,  but  the  wounded  animal  decided  to  remain  and  investigate 
the  cause  of- his  ill-treatment;  he  trotted  about  in  every  direction. 


A  CLOSE  SHAVE.  161 

sniffing  the  air  and  endeavoring  to  obtain  some  clew  to  the  where- 
abouts of  his  enemies  ■,  failing  in  this  he  ran  across  the  cleared 
space  and  into  the  long  grass.  I  started  off  with  three  of  the  best 
men  to  pick  up  the  trail  so  as  to  follow  him  up  and  put  him  out  of 

his  misery. 

Very  soon  Buna,  my  black  servant,  walked  right  on  the  brute 
who  was  lying  hidden  in  the  tall  grass.  He  rose  quickly  and 
stood  for  a  moment  staring  angrily  at  the  backing  form  of  the  boy, 
who  called  to  me,  "mbogo,  buana! !"  (buffalo,  master!  1)  At  this 
Avarning  I  rushed  back  into  the  open  again  as  I  always  prefer  to 
tackle  a  wild  beast  where  I  can  avoid  an  unseen  attack. 

The  wounded  buffalo  emerged  at  the  same  time  as  myself, 
he  had  followed  up  Buna,  and  had  increased  his  walk  to  a  trot, 
irritated  into  a  quicker  pace  by  the  pain  from  his  wounds.  When 
he  caught  sight  of  me,  however,  I  ac  once  absorbed  all  his  atten- 
tion ;  for  a  second  he  stood  and  glared  at  me,  switching  his  tail 
and  pawing  the  ground  beneath  his  feet,  then  shaking  his  head 
with  an  angry  snort,  he  lowered  his  nose  almost  to  the  ground 
and  bounded  toward  me.  At  that  time  I  was  using  a  single  barrel 
Martini  rifle ;  it  flashed  across  me  at  once  to  wait  until  the  furious 
brute  was  close  and  not  run  the  chance  of  simply  wounding  him 
by  firing  at  a  distance.  I  waited  until  he  was  about  five  yards  from 
me.  Then  he  swerved  to  one  side  to  get  the  right  swing,  I  sup- 
pose, for  tossing  me  in  the  air,  but  he  exposed  a  fatal  part  of  his 
body  and  I  sent  a  bullet  to  his  heart  which  brought  him  headlong 
to  the  earth.  He  was  charging  at  such  a  terrific  pace  that  his  own 
impetus  hurled  his  body  right  over  his  head  and  lay  him  out  at 
my  feet  with  his  tail  toward  me.  Although  tlio  ball  had  pierced 
his  heart,  the  animal  struggled  to  regain  his  feet,  and  I  gave  him 
the  couj)  de  grace  with  my  revolver.  The  Zanzibaris,  grateful 
for  the  termination  of  the  danger,  dropped  on  their  knees  and 
fervently  uttered  the  Mohammedan  thanksgiving,  "  Hemd  il  Illahi" 

(Praise  to  Allah). 

During  that  hunt  I  had  been  exposed  bare-headed  to  the  sun  for 
several  hours,  having  foolishly,  to  facilitate  stalking,  removed  my 
hat   and  handed  it  to  a  native  who  had,  at  an  early  stage  of  the 


162  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

proceedings,  escaped  to  a  clump  of  trees  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away  and  sought  shelter  in  the  topmost  boughs;  the  exciting 
developments  of  the  chase,  viewed  from  his  retreat,  had  so  scared 
the  individual  that  he  did  not  return  with  my  hat.  I  tried  to 
frighten  him  from  his  perch  by  pointing  my  rifle  threateningly 
at  him,  but  neither  this  nor  the  shouts  of  the  men  had  the  desired 
effect,  and  finally  I  had  to  send  my  boy  over  to  him  and  escort 
him  back. 

Previous  to  our  departure  from  the  villages  I  had  been  informed 
by  the  medicine  man  that,  although  buffaloes  were  usually  very 
dangerous,  still  one  of  the  men,  he  who  so  carefully  guarded  my 
hat,  was  supplied  with  a  very  potent  talisman,  which  would  keep 
an  angry  buffalo  at  a  distance.  This  knowledge,  combined  with 
the  power  of  the  white  men's  rifles,  I  Avas  assured,  would  render, 
buffalo  hunting  a  safe  undertaking. 

The  man  who  had  this  charm  had  also  smudged  the  corners  of 
his  eyes  with  a  blue  powder  which  is  supposed  to  have  the  virtues 
of  rendering  a  man  invisible  at  will,  but  I  noticed  this  individual 
adopted  other  means  of  making  himself  scarce  when  the  case  was 
really  urgent. 

The  lengthy  exposure  to  the  sun  which  I  suffered  on  this  occa- 
sion brought  on  one  of  the  most  serious  fevers  I  ever  had,  and 
upon  our  return  to  the  station,  during  my  hours  of  delirium,  it 
required  several  of  my  men  to  watch  me  and  prevent  my  leaving 
the  couch  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  imaginary  buffalo. 

A  few  weeks  after  this  occurrence  a  Bolobo  native  was  very 
badly  gored  by  a  buffalo ;  he  was  camping  near  the  river-bank 
and  walked  through  the  grass  to  a  patch  of  forest  in  search  of  dry 
wood  for  his  fire.  On  the  way  he  was  attacked  by  a  cow  which 
had  a  calf ;  tlie  animal  inflicted  ten  horrible  wounds  with  its  sharp 
horns  and  then  scampered  off.  The  man's  companions,  fearful  at 
his  prolonged  absence  from  camp  and  receiving  no  answers  to 
their  shouts  to  him,  eventually  followed  his  trail  and  found  him 
unconscious.  Liebrechts  and  I  dressed  his  wounds  and  took  care 
of  him,  with  the  happy  result  that  he  finally  recovered,  though  we 
both  at  first  considered  it  a  forlorn  hope. 


TRIALS  OF  AN  AFRICAN  BABY. 


163 


These  natives  of  Central  Africa  are  possessed  of  very  hardy 
constitutions,  and  they  are  capable  of  a  great  deal  of  endurance. 
This  is  no  doubt  owing  to  some  extent  to  the  introduction  which 
they  receive  at  a  very  early  age  to  the  strengthening  influence  of 
cold  water  bathing. 

The  Central  African  baby  does  not  know  the  comforts  of  a  cozy 
nursery.     The   little  fellow  is  not  washed  with  fine,  soft   sponges 
or  powdered  from  head  to  foot  with  a  velvety  puff.     Hot  and  cold 
water,  cannot  be  obtained  by 
pressing    a    button,    in    his 
mother's    hut.      All    lavatory 
arrangements    are    conducted 
down  on  the  beach  in  the  open 
air. 

In  the  early  morning  the 
women  file  down  to  the  river 
to  give  their  babies  a  bath. 
The  mother  walks  into  the 
water  knee  deep,  then  catch- 
ing the  half  awakened  infant 
by  the  wrist,  she  dips  him  into 
the  chilly  water  and  holds  him 
wriggling  beneath  tlie  surface. 
As  it  often  happens  that 
several  women  are  thus  occupied  at  the  same  time;  they  natu- 
rally engage  in  conversation  discussing  local  events  of  so  interest- 
ing a  nature  that  the  submerged  infant  is  sometimes  forgotten 
until  the  frantic  struggles  and  tugging  as  if  a  big  fish  were  hooked 
warn  the  dusky  parent  that  the  juvenile  is  not  amphibious.  The 
child  is  then  hauled  out  of  the  Avater  for  a  few  moments,  but 
before  he  can  possibly  recover,  his  violent  choking  and  splutter- 
ing is  drowned  again  in  the  depths  of  the  muddy  stream. 

This  operation  is  repeated  four  or  five  times,  and  then  the  mother 
carries  the  bewildered  piece  of  humanity  back  to  the  village  hut 
and  lays  him  out  on  a  mat  to  dry  in  the  sun,  and  gradually  re- 
cover from  the  shock. 


AFiaCAN    BABIES. 


164  I^  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

Thi.s  is  a  rough  and  uncomfortable  method  of  carrying  out  the 
law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

As  soon  as  these  children  can  walk  and  talk  tlieir  training  com- 
mences, and  when  still  quite  babies  they  catch  small  fish,  snare 
birds,  and  cook  them  on  the  ashes ;  often  the  mother  will  build 
a  fire,  put  the  big  cooking  pot  on  to  boil  with  its  stew  of  fish  and 
game,  and  then  leave  the  kitchen  arrangements  in  charge  of  her 
children,  who  sit  by  and  carefully  carry  out  the  instructions  given 
to  them  of  stirring  up  the  savory  mixture  at  certain  times,  of 
replenishing,  and  any  other  attention  which  the  important  oper- 
ation demands. 

A  serious  family  dispute  betwee^i  Ibaka  and  some  of  the  neigh- 
boring chieftains  threw  the  district  into  a  state  of  fierce  war  for  a 
few  days,  but  after  six  or  eight  had  been  killed  on  each  side  it  was 
decided  to  conduct  any  further  contest  verbally  with  the  idea  of  a 
settlement  of  the  disagreement.  In  connection  with  this  fight  a 
strange  case  of  misfortune  came  to  my  notice.  One  of  the  war- 
riors was  very  badly  wounded  and  it  was  feared  he  would  die ; 
the  charm  doctor  who  was  attending  him  discovered,  by  consult- 
ing his  wonder-working  implements,  that  if  the  man  was  moved 
away  to  a  small  fishing  camp  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  ho 
would  quickly  recover,  but  if  he  remained  at  Bolobo  he  would 
surely  die.  Accordingly,  the  wounded  man's  friends  packed 
him  into  a  canoe  and  conveyed  him  to  the  place  recommended. 
He  had  been  there  only  a  few  days  when  one  morning  Avlnlst 
at  the  river  bathing  his  wounds,  a  crocodile  lying  hidden  in  the 
mud  seized  him  and  carried  him  off. 

The  Bolobo  meaicine  man  of  course  attributed  this  occurence  to 
some  evil  spirit,  the  same  one  which  had  attacked  the  young  war- 
rior in  the  village  and  hindered  his  recovery.  Had  there  been  no 
white  men  in  the  district  at  the  time,  some  poor  slave  Avould  have 
been  pounced  upon  as  the  culprit  and  his  execution  would  have 
been  found  necessary  for  the  tribal  welfare. 

I  had  been  at  Bolobo  only  a  few  months,  wdien  instructions  from 
headquarters  deprived  me  of  my  friend  Liebrechts.  He  was 
directed  to  proceed  up-river  to  take  command  of  another  station. 


ATTACKED  BY  THE  EXECUTIONER.  165 

I  was  left  in  command  of  Bolobo,  where  I  remained  but  a  few 
months,  and  then  instructions  from  headquarters  directed  me  also 
to  abandon  the  station. 

A  steamer  was  placed  at  my  disposal,  and  with  orders  to  return 
up  stream  again  one  hundred  miles  beyond  Lukolela  and  join 
Liebrechts  at  the  Equator  Station.  I  was  very  sorry  to  make 
these  repeated  chang-es.  I  had  become  good  friends  with  the 
Bolobo  people  and  I  felt  very  lotli  to  leave  them. 

The  voyage  up-river  was  barren  of  any  interesting  events.  I 
was  able  only  once  to  replenish  the  larder  by  shooting  a  buffalo 
at  one  of  our  stopping  places. 

Whilst  at  the  Equator  I  took  part  in  a  little  fight  against  a  sec- 
tion of  the  tribe  which  continued,  in  spite  of  frequent  warnings, 
to  execute  their  slaves.  But  this  trouble  had  not  any  serious 
results,  only  one  man  was  killed,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  it  was  the 
principal  offender,  the  executioner  himself.  He  had  always 
opposed  any  control  by  the  white  men,  and  when  efforts  were 
made  to  prohibit  ceremonies  of  human  sacrifice  he  incited  the 
natives  to  resist  this  interference  with  their  national  customs.  He 
had  urged  some  of  the  villagers  to  attack  some  of  our  men  who 
were  walking  unarmed  through  the  native  villages,  and  when 
Liebrechts  and  I  went  with  our  guard  to  protest  against  this 
behavior  and  to  demand  explanations,  the  executioner  himself 
told  us  in  his  bitterest  language  that  the  only  satisfaction  we 
would  get  would  be  with  spears  and  knives.  He  followed  up  the 
speech  by  an  actual  attack  and  whilst  advancing  at  the  head  of 
his  warriors,  he  fell,  shot  through  the  head.  After  his  death  the 
conduct  of  the  native  villagers  was  much  more  peaceful. 

M}'  first  term  of  service  on  the  Congo  was  now  rapidly  drawing 
to  a  close ;  it  will  be  remembered  that  I  received  an  appointment 
for  three  years. 

Before  returning  to  the  coast  I  made  a  journey  to  the  cannibal 
villages  of  Bangala  still  another  hundred  miles  farther  in  the 
interior.  Many  of  these  people  still  bear  scars  of  wounds  received 
in  the  fight  with  Stanley  in  '77.  This  was  the  first  time  they  had 
ever  heard  a  gun  and  their  stubborn  attack  upon  Stanley's  flotilla 


166  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

at  that  time  proved  a  very  unpleasant  introduction  to  the   deadly 

weapon. 

The  Bangalas  were  now  comparatively  well  behaved ;  Lieuten- 
ant Coquilhat,  who  had  been  in  command  of  the  station  had 
cleverly  got  the  upper  hand  of  them,  and  was  recognized  as  the 
big  chief  of  that  district. 

I  returned  from  Bangala  to  Leopold ville  in  the  large  stern- 
wheeler  steamer  "Le  Stanley."  Everywhere  on  the  trip  the 
natives  were  most  friendly.  As  our  boat  touched  the  beach, 
bananas,  pine-apples,  fowls,  goats,  eggs,  etc.,  were  brought  down 
to  us  and  exchanged  for  our  cloth,  beads  and  melted  trinkets. 
The  natives  had  now  become  better  acquainted  with  the  pacific 
intentions  of  white  men  than  they  were  in  the  wild  times  when  I 
first  came  to  the  Congo. 

Leopoldville  had  greatly  increased  in  size.  New  steamers  were 
being  put  together  and  bands  of  workmen  both  white  and  black, 
were  busily  at  work.  Lots  of  new  houses  had  been  built  and  the 
station  was  equipped  with  well  stocked  storehouses  and  work- 
shops. A  new  transport  service  had  been  opened  up  between 
Leopoldville  and  Matadi,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Lower 
Congo.  There  are  no  beasts  of  burden  in  this  land,  and  every 
pound  for  the  interior  has  to  be  carried  on  men's  heads. 

The  native  carriers  are  hired  in  gangs.  Each  gang  of  carriers 
is  under  a  "Capita,"  or  head  man.  He  gets  one  man's  pay  only, 
but  in  consideration  of  the  responsibility  he  takes  in  engaging  to 
deliver  all  the  loads  at  their  destination,  he  does  not  carry  a  pack ; 
if  he  does  so  he  receives  double  pay.  These  capitas  are  gener- 
ally xhe  older  and  more  influential  men  of  the  villages,  usually 
the  chief  and  his  relatives. 

To  look  at  these  gaunt,  slender  shanked,  lanky,  half-starved- 
looking  beings,  it  seems  incredible  that  they  can  carry  heavy 
loads  over  such  distances.  Some  of  them  will  even  carry  as  much 
as  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  and  receive  double  pay.  A  car- 
rier receives,  for  the  transportation  of  a  sixty-five  or  seventy 
pound  load  from  Matadi  to  Leopoldville,  eight  pieces  of  hand- 
kerchief printed  in  gaudy  colors  and  costing  in  England  forty 


SELLING  WIVES  FOR  CLOTH. 


167 


cents  apiece,  besides  which  he  receives  one  extra  piece  of  some 
cotton  stuff  to  purchase  food  on  the  road.  The  use  of  coin  is  not 
yet  known,  except  on  the  coast.  The  moneys  of  the  country  are 
cloth,  beads,  etc. 

With  the  pay  for  their  packing  services  these  Ba-Congo  por- 
ters are  able,  after  a  number  of  journeys,  to  have  accumulated 
enough  of  the 
highly  prized  cot- 
ton stuff  to  enable 
them  to  add  to 
their  connubial 
bliss  by  marrying 
additional  wives ; 
the  mothers-in-law 
or  fathers-in-law 
in  that  part  of  the 
world  require  a 
goodly  pile  of 
brightl.y  colored 
dress  stuff,  flint- 
lock muskets,  kegs 
of  powder,  beads, 
etc.,  for  their 
daughters'  hands. 

In  the  rainy  sea- 
son, when  the  streams  become  swollen,  whole  caravans  are  kept 
waiting  until  the  flood  decreases.  Some  of  the  streams  have  to 
be  crossed  in  canoes,  and  over  some  of  them  swinging  bridges 
have  been  thrown,  ingeniously  constructed  of  rattan  cane  and 
plaited  fiber. 

In  the  dry  season,  when  the  streams  are  easily  forded  and  the 
carriers  liave  not  to  suffer  the  inconvenience  and  discomfort  of 
the  rain,  the  caravan  road  seems  almost  one  continuous  line  of 
natives,  who  tramp  along  always  in  single  file.  One  minute  a 
gang  of  thirty  is  met,  all  trudging  along  with  a  swinging  gait. 
Each  man  carries  seventy  pounds  of  brass  wire  or  bales  of  cot- 


A  BA-CONGO  PORTER. 


168  IN'  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

ton  stuff,  and  the  next  caravan  to  be  seen  may  be  partly  loaded 
with  sections  of  boats  and  tools;  others  will  be  carrying  boxes  of 
provisions,  and  occasionally  a  native  trader  with  a  cargo  of  ele- 
phants' tusks,  or,  if  on  his  return  journey  from  the  coast,  he  will 
be  weighed  down  with  the  various  miscellany  of  property  which 
old  Chief  Lutete  or  Makoko  have  obtained  from  the  wdiite  traders 
in  exchange  for  their  costly  ivory. 

At  different  points  along  the  trail  daily  markets  are  held,  where 
the  natives  of  the  outlying  hamlets  meet  under  some  spreading 
tree  to  exchange  their  peanuts,  palm  nuts  and  oil,  yams,  sweet 
potatoes,  bananas,  pineapples,  dried  snakes  and  mice,  and  other 
African  delicacies  with  the  hungry  porter  for  his  gay-striped 
handkerchief,  blue  baft,  or  beads.  The  carriers  are  recruited 
from  the  districts  of  Lutete,  Lukungu,  Manyanga,  etc.  ;  they  are 
spare-built,  slender-shanked  individuals,  but  their  endurance  is 
phenomenal.  A  distance  of  one  hundred  miles  is  often  traversed 
by  them  in  fivt3  da\^s,  which  is  no  feeble  task  for  a  man  nourished 
with  a  few  peanuts  or  bananas,  and  w^ith  a  seventy-pound  load 
on  his  head.  He  has  no  smooth  path  to  travel  over.  The  cara- 
van trail  leads  through  the  stifling,  heated  valleys,  where  he 
must  often  push  his  way  through  the  long,  coarse  grass,  waving 
twenty  feet  above  one's  head  and  drooping  across  the  trail ;  and 
the  steep  ascent,  where  the  path  winds  up  the  mountain-sides  and 
over  the  hill-tops,  adds  not  to  the  facility  of  his  task;  but  he 
trudges  manfully  along,  halting,  when  tired,  in  some  shady  nook 
where  he  enjoys  a  light  luncheon  of  a  few  inches  of  shriveled 
snake  and  a  banana  or  two. 

At  nearly  everv  brook  or  spring  these  natives  take  a  big 
draught  of  the  delicious  cool  water,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  day 
they  throw  down  their  loads  and  lie  down  at  full  length  and  enjoy 
the  soothing  Aveed  in  some  form  or  other,  some  smoking,  others 
preferring  to  enjoy  the  narcotic  in  the  shape  of  snuff. 

I  had  a  gang  of  these  Lower  Congo  carriers  to  carry  my  belong- 
ings down  to  the  coast.  I  was  a  curiosity  to  them ;  a  man  who 
had  been  living  for  nearly  three  years  wuth  the  wild  beings  of 
the  far  interior  did  not  come  on  that  trail   every  day.     They  were 


ENGLAND  AGAIN. 


169 


very  anxious  to  know  all  I  could  tell  them  and  each  night 
round  the  camp-fire  they  kept  me  busy  answering  a  long  string  of 
questions.  Each  village  we  passed  tlirough  was  informed  of  my 
experiences  and  I  became  quite  an  attraction. 

The  pun}'  inhabitants  of  the  Lower  Congo  did  not  compare 
favorably  either  in  physique  cr  intellect  with  the  old  stalwart  war- 
riors of  Lukolela.  Even  the  old  Congo  itself  loses  its  appear- 
ance of  magnitude  near  the  coast.  Away  in  the  interior  several 
hundred  miles  it  is  a  good  day's  journey  to  cross  from  shore  to 
shore ;  here,  near  its  mouth,  it  is  walled  into  narrowed  limits  by 
the  gray  highlands,  and  does  not  at  all  suggest  that  it  is  the  third 
largest  river  in  the  world. 

Upon  arriving  back  at  Banana  I  had  to  wait  a  few  days  for  a 
steamer ;  I  then  embarked  and  cruised  along  the  African  coast, 
touching  at  the  same  ports  as  when  I  had  arrived. 

At  the  latter  part  of  June  I  was  home  in  England  again  with 
my  mother  and  father,  sisters  and  brothers.  I  was  but  a  boy 
when  I  left  in  '83,  but  surely  I  could  now  call  myself  a  man  after 
serving  three  years  in  Central  Africa  in  Stanley's  expedition. 

I  intended  to  make  but  a  flying  visit  to  England.  I  would  start 
for  Central  Africa  again  in  a  few  weeks'  time. 


iilE  i;()\i,n   M.AK  TlIK  COAST. 


A   MOONLIGHT  SCENE. 


CHAPTER  IX, 


FROJI  ENGLAND  TO  BUKUTK. 


A  NKW  Expedition— Back  to  the  Congo— Rknewal  of  old  acquaintances— Elephants' 
MOONLIGHT    stroll— Established   at   Bukute— African   youngsters— Bienelo—Ele- 

I'HANT    HINTING— KUELU    OF    MONZOLE— THE      8IGNaL     DRUM— THE     BaRL'MBE-BUKUNU 
the      YOUNG      NGANGA— IVOBY       TRADING— BlENELO'S       ENEMY— IN       COMMAND       OJ'       THE 

"Florida." 

Upon  my  return  to  England  in  '86,  I  found  that  a  new  expedi- 
tion was  being  organized  for  important  work  in  Africa,  and  upon 
Mr.  Stanley's  advice  I  accepted  a  responsible  position  offered  me 
in  this  new  enterprise,  called  the  Sanford  Exploring  Expedition ; 
the  object  of  which  was  to  visit  all  the  villages  along  the  banks 
of  the  Congo  and  its  tributaries,  and  make  thorough  research  into 
the  marketable  products  of  the  land,  with  the  ultimate  object  of 
establishing  commercial  exchange  between  the  civilized  world 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Central  Africa. 

Most  of  my  time,  during  a  brief  holiday  of  ten  weeks  at  home, 
was  spent  in  superintending  preparations  for  the  new  work,  in 
buying  the  necessary  provisions,  general  stores,  and  trading 
goods,  in  having  all  suitably  packed  in  sixty -pound  loads  for  their 
long  overland  journey  into  the  interior,  and  in  attending  to  their 
shipment. 

Our  expedition  had  also  decided  to  take  out  a  light  draught 
stern-wheeler  sixty  feet  long.  As  this  boat  was  to  be  conveyed  by 
manual  transport  into  the  interior  beyond  Stanley  Pool,  it  had  to 


EQUATOR  STATION.  171 

be  constructed  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  easily  taken  to  pieces  and 
put  together  again.  All  the  machinery  was  made  in  sections  as 
light  as  possible,  and  the  hull  composed  of  small  plates  to  be  rivet- 
ed together  when  it  reached  its  destination.  The  charge  of  this 
construction  was  also  one  of  my  duties,  in  which  I  was  greatly 
aided  by  Mr.  W.  J.  Davy,  wiio  was  to  rebuild  the  boat,  and  offici- 
ate as  engineer  when  she  was  afloat  on  the  waters  of  the  Upper 
Congo. 

When  the  equipment  for  the  new  expedition  was  complete,  and 
had  been  dispatched  to  Africa,  I  left  England  for  my  second  term 
of  service  in  that  wild  land. 

On  September  20,  1886,  I  was  again  at  the  mouth  of  the  Congo, 
and  traveled  without  delay  into  the  interior. 

Whilst  the  steamer,  to  be  called  the  "Florida,"  was  being  trans- 
ported overland  to  Stanley  Pool,  to  be  put  together  there,  I  de- 
cided to  establish  myself  at  the  Equator  Station  in  the  district  of 
Bukute,  a  hundred  miles  beyond  my  old  station  of  Lukolela. 

The  Equator  was  a  most  important  centre ;  numerous  populous 
villages  surrounded  the  station  and  several  large  rivers  emptied 
into  the  Congo  in  the  vicinity.  An  extensive  commercial  inter- 
course was  already  carried  on  by  the  natives  themselves,  and  it 
would  be  an  interesting  study  to  discover  what  developm.ents 
trading  would  assume  when  stimulated  by  the  introduction  of  the 
white  man's  manufactures. 

After  a  very  short  stay  at  our  station  at  Kinsassa,  at  the  lower 
end  of  Stanley  Pool  and  a  few  miles  bej^ond  Leopoldville,  I  pro- 
ceeded up  stream,  bound  for  the  Equator  Station.  On  mv  way 
up  I  renewed  acquaintance  Avith  my  old  friends  at  Bolobo  and 
Lukolela.  Ibaka  and  Ngoi  and  luka,  and  Mungaba  all  brought  me 
presents  of  goats  and  fruit  and  received  in  return  cloth  and  trin- 
kets. Poor  Bongo  iSTsanda  was  grieved  to  think  that  I  could  not 
stay  at  least  a  few  months  at  Lukolela,  so  that  we  could  have 
some  hunting  amongst  the  big  game  in  the  country ;  he  told  me 
that  the  buffaloes  on  the  opi)Osite  shores  had  worn  the  plains  clear 
of  grass  in  their  joyous  frolics  at  my  departure  for  "Mputu"  (white 
man's  land). 


172  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

One  night,  whilst  on  this  trip,  we  saw  an  interesting  sight;  a 
family  of  elephants,  mother,  father  and  baby,  strolled  leisurely  up 
the  side  of  a  hill  a  half  a  mile  away  from  our  camp ;  the  full  moon 
shining  at  the  time  threw  out  the  great  figures  in  bold  outline,  and 
the  true  picturesque  effect  was  reached  when  the  bull,  who  was 
leading,  arrived  at  the  crest  of  a  knoll  and  throwing  up  his  trunk, 
trumpeted  a  loud  and  prolonged  blast,  which  wakened  the  whole 
country  with  its  rumbling  echo. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  Equator  Station  I  installed  myself  in  the 
large  clay  house  which  had  been  built  by  Captain  Van  Gele  when 
he  had  command  of  the  station. 

During  my  stay  at  this  post,  I  had  excellent  opportunities  for 
studying  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages  in  the  neighborhood  and 
the  surrounding  country.  I  found  that  I  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
powerful  tribes  of  the  Ba-Nkundu,  whose  customs  and  peculari- 
ties  closely  resembled  those  of  the  Ba-Bangi  at  Lukolela,  but  they 
spoke  a  different  tongue.  As  the  low-lying  country  round  the  sta- 
tion was  frequently  flooded  during  the  wet  season,  the  native  set- 
tlements were  built  on  a  strip  of  dry  land  along  the  river  bank. 
Just  at  the  back  of  the  huts  this  strip  merged  into  a  great  swamp 
which  extended  for  several  miles  inland. 

The  natives  around  my  station  were  a  light-hearted,  friendly 
people,  and  it  required  but  a  little  tact  and  patience  to  preserve  at 
all  times  friendly  relations  with  them.  I  always  had  in  my  em- 
ploy a  few  of  the  villagers  to  work  on  the  station,  and  found 
among  them  many  of  sterling  worth  and  admirable  character. 

Their  shapely  spear-heads  and  knives,  cleverh"  beaten  from 
native  iron  smelted  by  themselves  from  the  rough  ore.  their 
graceful  styles  of  pottery,  their  ingenious  fish  and  game  nets,  bore 
ample  proof  of  their  intelligence. 

Throughout  the  whole  section  of  Central  Africa  the  children 
commence  their  education  at  a  very  early  age;  there  are  no 
schools  with  books  where  they  can  get  instruction ;  their  training 
is  of  an  entirely  different  nature  from  a  white  boy's;  they  aim  to 
acquire  ability  which  will  enable  them  to  enjoy,  the  benefits  of 
their  particular  surroundings  and  will  also  aid  them  to  battle  w4th 


AN  AFRICAN  BOVS  EDUCATION. 


the 
perils 
and  dif- 
ficulties 
attending 
life  in  these 


regions 


by  savage  war  cries  and  the  deafening  rumble  of 
the  monster  war  drums  calling  all  to  arms. 

At  the  age  when  the  white  boy  has  left  off 
knickerbockers  and  has  been  promoted  into 


trousers, 


young  African   has    thrown 


away  his  toy  weapons  and  stands  pluckily 

behind  the  spiked  stockade  with   keen 

edged   blade  and  iron    tipped    spears 

and  fights  to  the  death  in  defense  of 

the  village  huts. 

The  training  of  the  girls  is  not 

neglected.     They  receive  from 

their    mothers  instruction   in 

the  various   domestic  duties 

which  they  will  be   called 

upon  to  perform. 

At  the  period  of   life 


173 


When    their 
grown  up  rela- 
tions are   busily 
employed  at  their 
trades,  the  boys  at- 
tentively   study    the 
w^ork  in  progress  and 
w  here    possible   they 
give     a    helping    hand ; 
after  a   while  they  carry 
on  the  easier  parts  of  manu- 
facturing   themselves,    and 
eventually    when    they    have 
srown   to   be    men,    thev   have 
become    experts    at   shaping  out 
weapons   and   metal  bracelets,  at 
carving  pliant  paddles    and   spear 
shafts,  and  in  the  knitting  of  fish  and 
game  nets,  and  the  weaving  of  rattan 
shields.     The  boys'  principal  pastime  is 
mimic  warfare — they  form  sides  and  at- 
tack each  other  with  blunted  spears  and 
wooden  knives,   and  at  a  very   early   age 
become  excellent  marksmen.     Such  a  train- 
ing can  be  received  none  too  early. 

Often  the  baby  is  startled  from  his  slumbers 


when  the  white  girl 
is    wearing     the 
shortest  of  frocks, 
the    little    n  eg- 
ress has  been 
initiated  into 
the  possibil- 
ities of  an 
A.  f  r  ican 
kitchen. 


SPKAKS  AM>   now 


174  AV  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

She  can  toast  to  perfection  a  hippo  or  buffalo  steak,  knows  each 
kind  of  insect  and  caterpillar  that  graces  the  Congo  bill  of  fare, 
and  she  can  also  plait,  and  sew  and  attend  to  her  garden. 

In  the  village  near  my  station  I  found  one  youth,  named 
Bienelo,  who  was  an  exceptionally  fine  fellow,  brave  in  war  and 
in  the  chase,  and  thoroughly  trustworthy  and  devoted.  He  re- 
mained with  me  the  whole  of  my  second  term  of  three  years  in 
Africa,  and  served  me  well.  He  was  a  slave,  having  been  caught 
when  quite  a  baby  by  some  raiders ;  but  his  determined  and  fear- 
less character  soon  raised  him  from  the  abject  condition  of  the 
majority  of  slaves ;  and  the  support  and  encouragement  which  I 
was  bound  to  extend  to  him  gave  him  a  good  position  in  the  vil- 
lage. He  was  my  head  man,  ashore  and  afloat.  Whether  with 
me  on  the  track  of  a  tusker,  or  exposed  to  the  arrows  of  the  fierce 
Baruki,  or  laboring  through  the  swampy  bog  in  search  of  fuel  for 
the  steamer,  he  always  remained  the  same  devoted  servant.  He 
was  a  perfect  example  of  what  can  be  made  of  the  African  savage 
when  properly  handled.  With  an  army  of  such  men,  under  reso- 
lute officers,  the  Arab  slave-raiders  and  their  Manyema  banditti 
would  before  long  be  driven  from  their  present  man-hunting 
ground,  and,  if  necessary,  could  be  utterly  destroyed. 

I  was  delighted  to  find  such  a  companion  to  take  the  place  of 
Bongo  Nsanda,  who  could  not  leave  his  wife  and  family  at 
Lukolela  to  join  me  here  a  hundred  miles  away  from  them. 

I  was  enabled  to  indulge  my  love  of  hunting  while  at  Equator 
Station,  as  herds  of  hippopotami  could  usually  be  found  within  a 
few  hours'  journey.  Occasionally,  too,  elephants  would  make 
their  way  down  to  the  river,  when  their  inland  drinking  places 
became  dried  out  from  a  long  rainless  season. 

Herds  of  elephants  are  to  be  found,  with  very  few  exceptions, 
throughout  the  whole  territory  of  the  Congo  Free  State.  I  sup- 
pose at  the  present  time  they  are  to  be  found  there  in  greater 
numbers  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  In  the  deadly 
swamps  and  impenetrable  forests  of  Central  Africa,  they  are 
secure  for  many  years  to  come.  In  South  Africa,  and  other  parts 
they  have  been   almost   exterminated,  as  hunters   of  big  game 


HUNTING  ELEPHANTS.  175 

in  that  land  are  not  exposed  to  such  a  climate  as  is  found  in  the 
swamp  land  of  the  Congo. 

An  elephant-hunt,  although  very  exciting,  is  attended  by  great 
hardship  and  risk.  The  elephants  are  not,  as  a  rule,  found 
in  open  places.  They  prefer  the  forest,  and  seek  the  shelter  of 
the  thick  tropical  foliage.  They  sometimes  roam  about  in  fam- 
ilies of  two  or  three,  and  often  in  herds  of  two  and  three  hundred. 
Some  districts  are  rendered  quite  uninhabitable  for  the  natives  by 
the  depredations  the  elephants  commit  on  the  plantations,  and  by 
the  very  dangerous  nature  of  the  midnight  maraudings  of  these 
great  animals.  They  seem  to  know  that  the  natives  have  no  very 
powerful  weapons  of  defense,  and  it  is  really  extraordinary  how 
fearlessly  they  take  possession  of  a  village.  The  natives  naturally 
are  very  anxious  that  a  white  man  should  come  to  shoot  these 
persecutors;  and,  when  a  herd  appears  in  a  district,  news  is 
always  brought  in  to  the  nearest  camp  or  station.  If  the  white 
man  is  a  hunter,  and  decides  to  follow  up  the  elephants,  he  takes 
with  him  one  or  two  natives  of  his  OAvn  training,  or  men  known 
to  be  trustworthy,  and  then,  accompanied  by  the  messenger  who  has 
seen  the  elephants  and  brought  the  news,  they  proceed  to  follow 
up  the  tracks.  If  it  is  about  the  middle  of  the  day,  the  party  will 
not  have  much  difficulty  in  coming  up  to  the  game,  as  from  about 
eleven  o'clock  till  about  three  o'clock  the  elephants  rest.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  the  time  is  early  morning  or  evening,  it  may  mean 
a  tramp  of  many  miles  before  finding  the  herd.  A  full  grown  ele- 
phant will  consume  between  six  and  eight  hundred  pounds  of  food 
a  day,  and,  as  he  is  a  dainty  brute  eating  only  the  choicest  mor- 
sels of  leaves  and  herbage,  he  must  cover  a  lot  of  ground  in  his 
search  for  his  daily  allowance. 

Even  when  you  have  reached  a  herd,  you  have  still  serious 
obstacles  in  your  path,  as,  more  often  than  not,  a  band — say,  of 
fifty — will  be  scattered  over  a  patch  of  two  or  three  acres.  You 
have  to  move  about  around  the  outskirts  of  this  resting-place,  and 
find  out  their  positions,  and  see  which  are,  and  which  are 
not,  "tuskers."  You  must  then  watch  and  note  in  what  direction 
the  animals  are  moving,  always  taking  care,  of  course,  to  have 


176  AV  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

the  wind  in  your  favor— that  is,  blowing  from  them  to  you.  It 
happens  sometimes,  too,  that  they  are  almost  completely  shel- 
tered by  the  luxuriant  growth  of  the  tropical  underbrush.  You  have 
to  allow  for  this,  and  be  ready  to  fire  your  shot  when  a  little  more 
open  ground  is  reached,  and  you  are  able  to  distinguish  some  vital 
spot.  It  is  not  at  all  unusual  for  an  elephant-hunter  to  be  within 
thirty  or  forty  yards  of  a  herd  of  elephants  for  five  or  six  hours 
without  an  opportunity  to  fire  a  shot.  Of  course  you  could  hit 
one;  but  unless  an  elephant  is  struck  in  some  vital  part,  to  wound 
him  is  simply  downright  cruelty.  The  best  places  at  which  to 
aim  are:  in  the  forehead,  four  inches  above  the  line  of  the  eyes; 
and  between  the  eye  and  the  ear,  four  inches  above  a  Ime  drawn 
between  those  two  points.  Another  very  good  place  is  just  behind 
the  ear.  Some  prefer  to  shoot  at  the  heart,  but  to  aim  at  the  head 
is  the  more  deadly  shot  and  the  one  I  always  endeavor  to  make. 

When  you  have  fired,  you  must  be  wary,  as  it  is  likely  that  you 
may  find  elephants  on  all  sides  of  you.  Upon  their  being  startled 
by  the  report  of  your  gun,  they  all  close  together,  preparatory  to 
making  their  escape,  so  that  you  have  to  be  very  careful  to  avoid 
being  trampled  under  foot.  It  requires  a  man  of  cool  tempera- 
ment and  strong  and  steady  nerves  to  carry  on  an  elephant  hunt 
successfully. 

The  noise  made  by  a  herd  of  elephants  is  simply  indescribable. 
Every  animal  seems  to  wish  to  outdo  the  others  in  the  shrillness 
of  its  screeching  and  trumpeting.  Their  angry  uproar,  combined 
with  the  crashing  down  of  trees  as  they  plow  their  way  through 
the  matted  undergrowth  of  the  forest,  once  heard,  will  never  be 
forgotten.  A  wounded  elephant  will  very  often  charge  at  the 
hunter,  especially  if  the  animal  is  a  female  protecting  a  young 
one,  so  that  a  hunter  seldom  fires  unless  he  is  close  enough  to  be 
sure  of  his  aim. 

I  had  been  at  the  Equator  Station  a  few  weeks  and  had  demon- 
strated my  ability  to  kill  big  game,  by  bagging  a  hippopotamus, 
when  a  native  from  a  neighboring  village  arrived  one  day  at  my 
house  excited  and  breathless.  He  informed  me  in  short  gasps 
that  he   had  seen   a  large  herd  of  elephants  quietly  feeding  in  a 


A  BIG  HERD. 


177 


forest  swamp  a  few  miles  away.  As  he  volunteered  to  lead  me  up 
to  these  animals,  I  took  my  rifle,  and,  accompanied  by  Bienelo 
with  a  spare  Martini,  I  followed  our  guide  to  the  woods.  We  had 
not  gone  far  before  we  heard  the  breaking  down  of  branches  and 
the  peculiar  champing  noise  which  these  animals  make  in  their 
throats  when  resting.  There  were  certainly  a  hundred  of  the 
great  creatures.  We  crept  close  up  to  them,  but  they  were  in  the 
midst  of  a  thick  undergrowth,  and  we  could  only  discern  their 
whereabouts  by  an  occasional  glimpse  of  their  great  bodies  through 


ELEPHANTS    STARTLED    AT  NIGHT. 


the  foliage  or  the  raising  of  a  trunk  as  one  of  them  would  snap 
off  a  branch  in  order  to  pluck  from  it  some  delicate  sprout  which 
had  caught  his  eye.  But,  all  around  us,  the  rustling  among  the 
big  leaves  and  the  waving  of  the  slender  slirubs  denoted  their 
presence. 

I  had  approached  witliin  a  few  yards  of  one  several  times,  but 
the  dense  thicket  prevented  me  from  clearly  distinguishing  my 
game.  At  last,  however,  from  a  patch  of  tangled  bush  and  creep- 
ers, a  large  elephant  came  striding  along  right  in  my  path. 

I  fired,  and  fortunately  dropped  the  beast  on  her  knees ;  and 
then,  after  another  shot  from  my  Martini,  she  rolled  over  on  her 
side,  dead.  I  had  been  uncomfortably  close  to  this  big  animal, 
and  after  she  had  fallen    she   lay  just   seven   yards  from  Avliere   I 


178  I^  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

stood  when  I  fired.  Had  I  not  succeeded  in  bringing  her  down  at 
the  first  sliot,  I  am  afraid  she  would  have  taken  such  steps  as 
would  have  been  exceedinerly  unpleasant  for  me,  and  very  possibly 
might  have  brought  my  African  career  to  an  abrupt  ending.  The 
remainder  of  the  herd  retreated  in  full  stampede  amidst  a  deaf- 
ening tumult. 

I  had  imagined  that  my  small  following  of  blacks  and  myself 
were  alone  here  in  the  jungles,  but  the  Africans  seem  to  have 
some  instinctive  foreknowledge  of  a  meat  supph^ ;  the  great  beast 
I  had  just  shot  had  been  dead  but  a  few  seconds  when  black, 
woolly  heads  were  peering  from  out  the  bush  on  all  sides  of  me, 
and  voices  anxiously  asked  in  whispers,  "Owi?"  (Is  it  dead?)  and 
but  a  few  minutes  elapsed  before  the  elephant's  body  was  hidden 
from  view  by  the  crowd  of  natives  eagerly  engaged  in  carving 
up  the  meat.  Soon  the  women  arrived  with  big  baskets,  and  in  a 
very  short  time  nothing  remained  but  the  skeleton  of  the  giant 
brute  which  had  but  recently  had  strength  enough  to  tear  up  a  big 
tree  by  the  roots  and  cast  it  away  as  though  it  were  a  blade  of 
grass.  A  caravan  of  delighted  natives  filed  home  in  haste  to 
banquet  sumptuously  on  elephant  meat — all  of  which  I  gave  to 
the  villagers,  as  it  is  strong  in  flavor  and  very  tough,  and  commend- 
able only  to  a  white  man  when  his  larder  is  in  an  extremely  im- 
poverished condition,  but  the  Africans  deem  it  a  delicacy,  and  by 
furnishing  them  with  such  a  supply  you  gain  substantial  prestige. 

Elephants  live  to  a  very  great  age,  and  so  accustomed  do  the 
natives  become  to  certain  ones  that  they  know  each  b}'^  a  special 
name.  Sometimes  the  title  is  bestowed  on  account  of  some  well- 
known  incident  of  the  animal's  life,  and  sometimes  the  elephant 
is  named  after  a  deceased  chief.  These  old  fellows  are  generally 
bull  elephants,  and,  more  often  than  not,  tuskers,  who  prefer  lead- 
ing a  solitary  life  to  joining  a  herd.  I  remember  one  wily  old  fel- 
low often  mentioned  among  the  natives  by  the  name  "  Miongo 
Moco"  (one  tusk),  so  called  from  his  having  only  one  tusk.  I 
never  saw  him,  although  I  have  been  on  his  track.  It  seemed 
strange  to  hear  these  people  say,  in  speaking  among  themselves 
after  this  elephant  had  visited  their  plantations,  "Miongo  Moco 


EXPEDITION  TO  MONZOLE. 


179 


paid  another  visit  last  night,"  and  then  proceed  to  recount  the 
damage  done  by  him  and  to  abuse  him  in  their  quiet  way,  just  as 
if  he  were  a  human  being. 

Whilst  living  amongst  the  Ba-Nkundu  here  I  was  repeatedly 
hearing  rumors  in  the  villages  of  an  expected  attack  from  a  large 
inland  tribe  called  Monzole,  As 
no  white  man  had  ever  visited 
these  people,  I  decided  that  I 
w^ould  endeavor  to  make  friends 
with  them  by  visiting  their  vil- 
lages, and  entering  into  blood 
brotherhood  with  the  chief,  Euelu. 
I  therefore  detailed  Bienelo,  my 
trusty  aide-de-camp,  to  engage  a 
few  friendly  natives  to  accom- 
pany us  on  this  little  expedition. 
This  place  was  reached  by  a 
path  which  led  for  twenty  miles 
through  the  swampy  jungles. 
In  some  places  the  mud  was 
several  feet  deep,  and  at  these 
dangerous  spots  trees  had  been 
felled  and  thrown  across  to  serve 
as  bridges. 

Upon  my  arrival  I  was  re- 
ceived most  cordially  by  Euelu. 
He  seemed  delighted  to  think  that 
a  white  man  had  paid  such  a  trib- 
ute to  his  importance  as  to  wade 

through  twenty  miles  of  mud  to  visit  him.  He  placed  his  own  hut 
at  my  disposal,  rationed  my  men,  gave  me  goats,  sheep,  fowds,  and 
eggs,  and  made  me  feel  thoroughly  at  home.  AVhen  I  had  re- 
moved the  coating  of  mud  which  covered  me  from  head  to  foot,  I 
found  time  to  take  a  good  look  at  my  redoubtable  host.  He  had 
heard  of  my  coming  from  some  of  his  young  hunters,  who,  sur- 
prised at  the  sight  of  a  band  of   strangers  crossing  the  swamp, 


EUELU  THE  MONZOLE  ClIIliF. 


180  IN  SA  VA GE  AFRICA. 

had  left  their  trapt.  and  nets  and  had  hurried  back  to  the  village 
with  the  news. 

In  view  of  so  important  an  event,  Euelu  had  donned  the  very 
best  costume  his  wardrobe  contained.  He  vv'ore  a  tall  hat,  on 
which  was  fastened  a  circular  plate  of  beaten  brass,  twelve  inches 
in  diameter  and  covered  with  roughly  stamped  designs.  He 
clutched  a  handful  of  spears  and  a  cane  shield ;  the  ever-ready 
knife  hung  over  his  right  shoulder,  while  from  his  left  shoulder 
was  suspended  a  capacious  bukumbe,  or  sack.  He  was  evidently 
a  suspicious  old  fellow.  His  restless  eyes  were  sufficient  proof  of 
that,  and  the  persistent  habit  of  carrying  iiis  belongings  in  the 
bukumbe  was  a  further  confirmation  of  the  fact.  His  drinking- 
cuj),  medicines,  razors,  hair-pins,  colored  chalks,  adze,  monkey 
skins,  copper  rings — all  accompanied  him  on  every  step  he  took.  I 
asked  him  the  reason  for  carrying  his  property  in  this  manner, 
and  he  told  me  that  he  had  several  sons  who  were  always  seeking 
an  opportunity  to  lay  their  hands  on  his  valuables,  and  it  was 
therefore  necessary  for  him  to  take  them  with  him  wherever  he 
went. 

Euelu  was  a  short  man,  but  of  wiry  build,  with  a  determined- 
looking  head.  His  face  and  body  bore  many  marks  of  war's  rav- 
ages. The  questions  he  put  to  me  showed  him  to  be  possessed  of 
great  intelligence,  and  he  was  much  amused  at  my  descriptions  of 
the  manners  and  customs  in  Mputu  (the  white  man's  country),  and 
by  some  rough  drawings  I  made  with  a  piece  of  chalk  on  the  door 
of  his  hut ;  my  gun  delighted  him  so  much  that  he  at  once  proposed 
that  we  should  form  an  alliance  and  wage  war  on  the  surrounding 
villages  and  reduce  them  to  subjection. 

"With  such  a  gun  as  that,"  said  he,  "we  could  fight  the  whole 
country."  If  not  beloved,  Euelu  was  certainly  much  feared  by  his 
neighbors.  The  other  villages  in  the  district  were  jealous  of  his 
power ;  but  whenever  they  put  forward  a  headman  to  contend 
with  Euelu  for  leadership  in  the  country,  the  native  selected  for 
that  honor  would  receive  a  visit  from  the  old  chief,  and  would  in 
consequence  retire  from  the  competition  rather  speedily. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit  he  was  engaged  in  a  war  against  a 


EUEL U'S  DEA TH.  181 

neighboring  settlement,  the  Bandaka  Nsi,  and  he  was  disappointed 
that  1  would  not  aid  him. 

In  attempting  to  surprise  his  enemies  at  early  dawn,  four  of  his 
men  had  been  killed  by  spears  from  the  opposing  warriors  who  had 
been  warned  of  his  coming  and  were  lying  in  ambush  ready  to 
entrap  him. 

The  village  of  Monzole  was  built  on  a  strip  of  dry  land  rising 
from  the  swamp.  The  government  of  tliese  people  was  far  more 
intelligent  than  any  I  had  ever  met  with  among  the  Congo  natives. 
Here,  there  was  always  one  responsible  chief  at  the  head  of 
affairs. 

From  Euelu,  whose  warlike  excursions  had  penetrated  far  in  all 
directions,  I  learned  a  great  deal  about  the  land  beyond. 

The  old  chief  visited  my  station  several  times  after  this  little 
trip  of  mine.  But  early  in  '88  he  attempted  to  suppress  a  drunken 
squabble  which  was  going  on  in  the  village.  Some  of  his  enemies, 
taking  advantage  of  his  unarmed  condition,  treacherously  speared 
him,  leaving  him  dead  in  his  own  village.  Since  that  time  the 
name  of  Monzole,  unaided  by  the  great  reputation  of  Euelu,  fails 
to  create  such  fear  among  the  neighboring  tribes. 

Here  at  Monzole  I  had  an  excellent  opportunity  of  noting  the 
marvelous  results  obtained  by  the  native  signal  drum,  which  plays 
an  important  part  in  the  African  existence. 

A  large  oblong  block  of  wood  is  cleverly  hollowed  out  through 
a  small  slit  at  the  top ;  one  side  of  the  drum  is  left  thicker  than 
the  other,  so  that  a  blow  struck  on  one  side  gives  an  entirely  differ- 
ent sound  from  one  struck  on  the  ot;her,  giving  the  instrument  two 
distinct  notes.  This  drum  is  used  for  sounding  out  messages  for 
a  long  distance,  and  it  is  really  marvelous  with  what  accuracy 
a  nati\e  conversant  with  it  can  deliver  and  receive  information. 
They  can  convey  words  several  miles  without  difficulty.  There 
is  an  elaborate  code  of  signals  for  this  purpose,  made  up  of  the 
two  distinct  sounds  and  a  system  of  intervals  between  taps.  Only 
a  few  men  in  each  village  beconie  experts  in  this  wonderful  form 
of  telegraphy. 

Whilst  on  this  visit  to  Euelu,  hearing  that  there  was  big  game 


182 


7.V  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


to  be  found  beyond  the  upper  end  of  the  villages  seven  or  eight 
miles  away,  I  shouldered  my  rifle  and  started  off  with  Bienelo 
for  a  hunt.  Upon  reaching  the  ground  I  found  trails,  but  no  fresh 
ones  to  denote  the  presence  of  animals  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood. 


lELEGRAPHING    IN    AFlilCA. 


The  natives  occupying  the  huts  near  by  told  me  that  the  ele- 
phants came  into  the  banana  plantations  nearly  every  night,  and 
as  1  intended  to  return  back  to  Euelu's  hut  to  sleep,  they  prom- 
ised that  in  case  the  animals  made  their  usual  visit  they  would 
inform  me  by  drum  signal.  That  night  when  all  was  quiet  a  faint 
tapping  of  a  drum  was  heard,  distinguishable  only  to  the  prac- 
ticed ear. 

Euelu,  ever  on  the  alert,  heard  the  sound  at  once.  He  imme- 
diately ordered  perfect  silence  in  the  village,  and  the   slight  mur- 


THE  BARUMBE.  183 

murs,  that  were   heard  from   time  to  time  from   a  few  people  who 
were  sitting  up  late  over  their  fires,  were  hushed. 

The  old  chief  then  listened  earnestly  to  the  feeble  sounds  of  the 
drumming  carried  toward  us  on  the  evening  breeze.  The  signal 
taps  struck  several  miles  away  were  barely  audible  by  the  time 
they  reached  us;  but  the  drummer  knew  the  difficulties  of  hearing 
the  sound  at  so  great  a  distance,  so  the  message  was  repeated  over 
and  over  again,  till  at  last  Euelu  turned  to  me  and  said :  "  There 
are  elephants  feeding  in  the  banana  plantation  now  and  the  natives 
want  you  to  go  and  shoot  them  in  the  morning." 

I  made  the  trip  as  suggested,  and  found  that  the  old  chief  had 
understood  the  message  by  signal  drum  exactly  as  it  had  been 
sent. 

Near  the  village  of  Euelu  was  an  encampment  of  roving  hunt- 
ers known  as  Barumbe.  Originally,  these  people  were  Nomads, 
but  the  Bankundu  chieftain  persuaded  them  to  settle  in  the  land. 
These  seemed  a  very  peaceful  tribe,  and  wished  to  live  at  peace 
with  their  neighbors.  They  employed  their  time  ia  hunting  the 
small  game  in  the  forests  with  bow  and  arrow,  while  pitfalls  and 
other  traps  set  for  big  game  showed  that  the  larger  animals  also 
were  objects  of  their  craft.  They  were  not  cannibals,  and 
greatly  to  their  credit,  did  not  indulge  in  human  sacrifices. 
Their  objection  to  cruel  ceremonies  did  not  seem  to  recommend 
them  to  the  neighboring  tribes,  who  looked  down  upon  them.  The 
Barumbe  were  not  allowed  to  intermarry  with  the  Bankundu ; 
they  had  to  find  wives  amongst  their  own  people.  TheA^  were  keen 
sportsmen  and  useful  trackers,  being  able  to  discern,  b}'  a  careful 
scrutiny  of  the  trail,  the  exact  time  the  animals  had  passed 
through  the  swamps.  They  had  never  seen  a  whiie  man,  and  I 
had  great  difficulty  in  getting  my  tracker  to  go  ahead,  as  he  pre- 
ferred to  walk  behind  me  in  order  to  indulge  his  curiosity  by  hav- 
ing a  good  look  at  me. 

Among  the  great  variety  of  objectionable  insects  the  ants  were 
the  most  troublesome.  There  are  three  species  with  which  the 
traveler  is  daily  brought  in  contact :  the  white  ant,  the  driver-ant, 
and  the  red  ant.     The  last  is  found  on  shrubs   in   the  forests,  and 


184  /iV  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

if  you  brush  against  a  branch  on  which  these  insects  live,  you 
will  become  painfully  aware  of  the  reason  why  the  Zanzibari  call 
this  pest  "Maji  moto"  (hot  water),  for  its  bite  resembles  a  burn 
from  scalding-  water.  The  dwarfs  who  gave  Stanley  so  much 
trouble  around  Lake  Albert  during  his  last  expedition,  poisoned 
their  arrows  with  crushed  red  ants. 

Another  very  annoying  member  of  the  ant  race  is  the  dark- 
brown  driver.  These  ants  crawl  along  the  ground  in  a  solid  mass, 
twelve  inches  wide  and  several  yards  long,  composed  of  many 
millions  of  them.  They  move  slowly  alon^  like  a  great  army, 
occasionally  stopping  to  devour  whatever  animal-food  they  may 
meet  in  their  path. 

I  have  often  been  visited  by  these  unwelcome  guests  at  night. 
On  such  occasions  the  contents  of  my  larder  would  form  a  meal 
for  them;  and  if  my  mosquito-net  was  not  properly  tucked  in,  so 
as  to  exclude  such  intruders,  I  would  be  overrun  with  them,  and 
would  have  to  beat  a  precipitate  retreat  until  they  had  ransacked 
my  establishment  to  their  satisfaction.  This  has  happened  to 
me  several  times.  The  bite  of  the  driver  ant  is  Yery  painful,  for 
the  insect  is  provided  with  large  pincers  with  which  he  digs  deep 
into  the  flesh  of  an  enemy.  His  bite  is  so  pertinacious  that,  when 
you  attempt  to  remove  him,  the  head  remains  buried  in  3^our  flesh, 
and  if  not  carefully  extracted  it  will  develop  into  a  painful  sore. 

The  white  ant  makes  itself  an  equally  unwelcome  visitor  by  eat- 
ing away  all  woodwork,  leather,  or  cloth  which  it  can  find.  A 
wooden  case,  if  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  this  insect  for  two  or 
three  days,  will  have  the  bottom  eaten  away ;  and  a  pair  of  boots, 
left  at  the  mercy  of  this  pest,  will  be  m.ade  utterly  worthless  in  a 
few  days. 

Large  clay  mounds,  sometimes  reaching  thirty  feet  in  height, 
mark  the  house  and  storehouses  of  the  white  ant. 

These  mounds  are  of  cellular  formation,  and  contain  their  store 
of  grubs.  So  large  and  solid  are  these  ant  hills  that  at  one  of  our 
stations  we  leveled  the  top  of  a  deserted  ant  hill  and  built  a  sentry 
post  upon  it. 

Nature  has  bestowed  upon  the  African  a  rich  gift  in  the  palm 


PALM  WINE.  185 

tree.  Its  branches  form  a  canopy  to  shelter  the  village  huts  from 
the  noonday  sun ;  with  its  leaves  the  houses  are  thatched ;  and 
the  Congo  kitchen  would  be  devoid  of  its  chief  means  of  flavor 
and  delicacy  if  deprived  of  the  mbila,  or  oily  palm-fruit.  And  it 
plays  an  even  more  important  part.  Its  juice,  as  malafu,  cheers 
the  hunter  on  his  return  from  the  chase,  is  partaken  of  at  every 
tribal  ceremony,  and  provides  a  sparkling  nectar  for  the  other- 
wise insipid  African  banquet.  It  is  obtained  by  tapping  the  tree 
at  its  very  top. 

Holes  are  bored  in  the  heart  of  the  palm  tree,  and  gourds  are 
attached.  Into  these  the  juice  flows,  and  the  gourds  are  collected 
by  the  natives,  who  climb  up  the  trunk  of  the  tree  by  means  of  a 
band  of  leather  or  cane  which  encircles  climber  and  tree.  By  this 
ingenious  device  the  native  is  kept  from  falling,  and  can  ascend 
the  trees  with  great  rapidity.  Using  the  rough  projections  of  the 
"bark  as  steps  they  lean  back  and  mount  higher  and  higher,  at 
the  same  time  lifting  with  a  jerky  motion  the  band  that  holds 
them  to  the  tree. 

This  malafu,  or  palm-wine,  resembles  milky  water  in  color,  is 
of  a  sweet  acidulated  flavor,  and  when  not  too  old  is  exceedingly 
refreshing  and  palatable;  but  in  a  few  days  it  becomes  sour,  and 
is  then  very  intoxicating.  Excellent  bread  can  be  made  by 
mixing  it  with  flour;  then  after  thoroughly  kneading,  the 
dough  must  be  exposed  to  the  sun  for  an  hour  or  so  till  it  is  prop- 
erly raised  and  then  baked  in  a  quick  oven ;  no  yeast  or  baking- 
powder  is  needed ;  simply  palm  wine,  flour,  and  a  pinch  of  salt. 

I  had  in  my  employ,  besides  Bienelo,  a  bright,  intelligent  young 
fellow  named  Bukunu.  who  had  gained  in  his  village  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  a  rising  Nganga.  One  day  I  asked  him  to  tell  me 
something  about  his  profession  Making  sure  that  no  other 
native  was  within  hearing  to  betray  his  words  to  the  villagers, 
and  eliciting  from  me  a  promise  that  I  would  not  divulge  any- 
thing he  told  me,  he  confessed  that  so  far  as  he  was  concerned  it 
was  an  imposture,  and  that  he  invented  charms  simply  to  meet 
the  demand  of  the  credulous.  He  had  in  his  hand  a  large  ante- 
lope's  horn,  over   the   aperture  of  which  was  a  woven  covering. 


]  60  IiV  SA  VA GE  AFRICA. 

"This  article,"  said  he,  "is  supposed  to  possess  mystic  power.  By 
this  I  can  discover  in  case  of  sickness  whether  the  sufferer  will  re- 
cover or  die.  When  I  am  called  to  a  sick  person  this  horn  will  at 
once  foretell  his  fate.  If  he  is  to  die,  the  charm  will  remain  silent ; 
but  if  recovery  is  certain,  a  low  whistle  will  be  heard.  See,  I  will 
hold  the  charm  at  arms'  length  and  it  shall  w^histle  when  you 
wisli."  I  tendered  the  necessary  invitation,  and  was  surprised  to 
hear  a  wiieezy  whistle,  which  sounded  as  if  it  came  from  the  horn. 
I  asked  the  man  to  explain  it  to  me,  but  he  was  not  inclined  to  part 
with  so  valuable  a  secret  without  some  consideration.  Finally  he 
agreed  that  I  should  become  the  possessor  of  the  charm  for  an 
empty  bottle,  which  I  gave  him.  Going  to  the  door  to  make 
sure  that  no  listeners  were  there,  he  drew  from  his  nostril  a 
perforated  bean.  It  was  with  this  that  he  had  made  the  sound 
supposed  to  come  from  the  horn.  He  explained  to  me  that  it 
was  by  such  means  that  the  fetishman  amassed  his  wealth. 

Natives  fear  the  fetishman,  as  they  are  unable  to  determine  the 
extent  or  limit  of  his  authority  over  evil  influences.  But  the 
belief  in  his  power  has  no  deeper  root  than  this  uncertainty,  and 
it  is  greatly  lessened  in  natives  who  come  in  contact  with  white 
men,  who,  they  are  quick  to  perceive,  perform  greater  wonders. 
When  I  had  killed  an  elephant,  a  buffalo,  or  a  hippopotamus,  I 
often  asked  them :  "  Can  your  Nganga  kill  these  big  beasts?  Has 
he  even  the  courage  to  face  them  and  to  risk  his  life  to  obtain 
them  for  you?    I  do  it  and  succeed.     But  I  have  no  fetish  charm." 

Such  reasoning  on  my  part  was  not  without  effect ;  my  men 
invariably  ignored  the  power  of  the  Nganga  when  far  away  from 
him,  although  on  returning  to  their  villages  they  relapsed  into  the 
same  feeble  submission  to  senseless  custom,  not  because  they  still 
had  any  faith  in  it,  but  because  they  knew  that  any  declaration  of 
disbelief  in  the  power  of  the  fetishman  would  bring  trouble  upon 
them,  and  in  all  probability  the  Nganga  would  soon  find  an  oppor- 
tunity to  accuse  them  of  witchcraft.  The  poison  test  would  be 
administered,  and  the  draught  so  mixed  as  to  establish  guilt  by 
certain  death. 

Owing  to  defective  transport  on  the  lower  river,  my  supply  of 


BIEXELO  DEFENDS  HIS  LIFE. 


lb- 


trading  goods  was  limited  at  the  commencement  of  the  expedi- 
tion, but  with  the  small  amount  I  had  I  was  able  to  buy  a  goodly 
pile  of  ivory.  I  obtained  the  tusks  in  exchange  for  red  and  blue 
cloth,  handkerchiefs,  brass  wire,  tin  spoons  and  forks,  beads, 
shells  and  metal  ornaments;  the  few  tons  of  ivory  I  bought  cost 
twenty -five  cents  a  pound,  and  sold  in  the  European  markets  at 
that  time  for  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  pound. 

After  a  stay  of  a  few  months  at  the  Equator,  the  "Florida" 
arrived  at  a  most  opportune  moment,  when  a  little  trouble  was 
pending  between  the  station  and  Baruk  Nsamba,  a  village  a  few 
miles  away.  Bienelo  had  gone  out  to  shoot  some  guinea  fowls  for 
me,  and  whilst  wandering  about  the  plantation  searching  for  the 
birds,  he  met  an  old  enemy  of  his,  Ntulu,  who  immediately 
guarded  himself  with  his  shield  and  threw  his  spear  at  Bienelo. 
Bienelo  warded  off  the  weapon  with  his  gun  barrel,  and  quickly 
retaliated  by  shooting  Ntulu  dead  on  the  spot.  The  chieftains 
of  the  dead  man's  village  demanded  the  life  of  Bienelo  as  he  was  a 
slave  and  the  deceased  was  a  free  man.  Naturally  I  would  not 
give  my  man  up,  and  rumors  were  afloat  of  an  attack  upon  the 
station,  but  all  the  warriors  about  my  post  volunteered  to  join  me 
in  case  of  war,  and  the  timely  arrival  of  the  "Florida,"  with  an 
extra  force,  had  a  pacifying  effect,  and  they  decided  to  let  the 
well  deserved  death  of  Ntulu  remain  unavenged. 


UIKNELO. 


LOLO  SPEARS  AND  SIIIKM). 


CHAPTER  X^ 

SLAVETIY. 

LtTLUNGtT  Pirates— A  Row  with  the  Nativks— Slave  Markets— The  Lufembe  Raiders— 
TnK  Hai.ou)— Elephants  at  night— A  rude  awakening — Malinga  village— My 
hkother    Iskkeaka— Natives    ask    for  help- Ivory  trading— Slavery  in  the  Ike- 

LEMUA. 

About  forty  miles  above  the  Equator  Station  the  Lulungu  River 
flows  from  the  east  and  joins  the  parent  stream,  the  Congo,  on  the 
south  bank.  As  the  Luhingu  promised  important  commercial 
results  I  decided  to  visit  its  waters  upon  m}^  first  trip  in  the 
"Florida."  Thirteen  hours  steaming  brought  us  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  where  1  camped  and  kept  my  crew  busy  all  night  cut- 
ting down  dry  trees  and  splitting  up  logs  for  a  fresh  supply  of  fuel. 
Whilst  my  men  were  thus  occupied  I  purchased  a  few  fine  tusks  of 
ivory,  brought  along  side  the  boat  in  canoes,  by  moonlight. 

My  special  duty,  however,  was  to  conduct  operations  in  the  lit- 
tle known  regions  of  the  far  interior;  so  the  next  morning  we  were 
again  under  way,  steaming  up  the  muddy  water  of  the  Lulungu. 

About  fifty  miles  up  this  stream  we  reached  the  powerful  settle- 
ments of  Lulungu  from  which  the  river  takes  its  name.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  district  had,  previous  to  my  trip,  controlled 
the  right  of  way ;  they  permitted  none  of  the  natives  above  them 


THE  L  UL  UNG  U  FIR  A  TES.  18» 

to  descend  to  the  lower  reaches  of  the  river,  and  the  trading  canoes 
from  the  villages  on  the  Congo  were  not  allowed  to  pass  without 
paying  a  heavy  toll,  unless  they  were  in  sufficient  force  to  figlit 
their  way  through. 

At  Lulungu  the  lay  of  the  land  furnished  the  natives  with  an 
excellent  strategic  position.  Each  bank  of  the  river  was  studded 
with  stockaded  villages  and  the  islands  midstream  were  care- 
fully fortified.  Lying  on  the  beach,  in  front  of  each  settlement., 
monster  war  canoes  were  ready  to  launch  at  a  moment's  notice 
in  case  of  alarm,  and  signal  drums  were  placed  at  every  point 
which  afforded  a  good  view  up  and  down  stream.  Sentries  were 
always  on  the  lookout,  and  a  strange  arrival  from  any  direction 
was  immediately  com.municated  by  the  drums  along  the  line  of 
villages,  and  the  warriors  would  arm  themselves  and  stand  by  their 
dug-outs,  prepared  to  dart  out  into  the  stream  and  attack  any 
aliens  who  might  attempt  to  run  the  gauntlet  through  these 
piratical  regions  in  order  to  avoid  the  customary  dues, 

I  always  carried  a  small  wooden  drum  on  board,  and  BienelO; 
who  was  an  expert  in  it  use,  heralded  our  appproach  b}^  systemat- 
ically tapping  out  my  name  and  my  business.  The  "Florida"  was 
too  formidable  a  looking  monster  to  be  subject  to  any  native 
extortion,  and  my  powerful  crew  aboard,  and  a  score  of  rifles 
bracketed  in  full  view  on  the  front  of  the  cabin,  rendered  us  ex- 
empt from  the  usual  Lulungu  toll  extortions. 

Upon  our  arrival  in  these  settlements  we  usually  ran  our  boat  in 
shore ;  the  natives  were  not  actually  hostile,  but  they  were  sullen 
and  naturally  looked  upon  us  as  intruders  and  did  not  attempt  to 
disguise  their  feelings.  When  they  showed  signs  of  any  arrogant 
display,  however,  a  blast  on  the  harmony  w^iistle  would  quiet 
their  loud  talk  into  whispered  words  of  fear. 

.  At  one  of  these  villages  we  had  a  little  row  w^ith  the  natives, 
but  there  was  no  serious  damage  done;  ill  feeling  sprang  up 
between  the  villagers  and  my  crew,  and  their  arguments  could 
not  be  settled  except  by  blows ;  but  the  chief  was  a  sensible 
old  fellow,  and  seeing  that  a  fight  was  inevitable,  and  if  allowed 
to  proceed  might  terminate  disastrously,  he  threatened  his  people 


190  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

with  death  if  they  drew  a  sharpened  weapon.  My  men  were  not 
armed ;  for  I  allowed  no  rifle  to  be  used  without  my  permission. 
The  contest  was  carried  on  between  the  two  sides  with  fists,  sticks, 
and  stones,  but  the  lumps  and  bruises  resulting  from  this  meeting 
bore  ample  proof  of  the  earnestness  that  had  been  employed  by 
all  hands. 

At  every  village  bands  of  slaves  were  offered  for  sale ;  it  would 
be  difficult  to  give  a  truthful  picture  of  the  suffering  endured 
by  the  captives  in  this  region.  They  are  hobbled  with  roughly 
hewn  logs  which  chafe  their  limbs  to  open  sores ;  sometimes 
a  whole  tree  presses  its  weight  on  their  bodies  while  their  necks 
are  penned  into  the  natural  prong  formed  by  its  branching  limbs. 
Others  sit  from  day  to  day  with  their  legs  and  arms  maintained 
in  a  fixed  position  by  rudely  constructed  stocks,  and  each  slave 
is  secured  to  the  roof-posts  by  a  cord  knotted  to  a  cane  ring 
which  either  encircles  his  neck  or  is  intertwined  with  his  woolly 
hair.  Many  die  of  pure  starvation,  as  the  owners  give  them 
barely  enough  food  to  exist  upon,  and  even  grudge  them  that. 
These  hungry  creatures  form  indeed  a  truly  pitiable  sight.  After 
suffering  this  captivity  for  a  short  time  they  become  mere  skele- 
tons. All  ages,  of  both  sexes,  are  to  be  seen:  mothers  with  their 
babes;  young  men  and  women;  boys  and  girls;  and  even  babies 
who  cannot  yet  walk,  and  whose  mothers  have  died  of  starvation, 
or  perhaps  been  killed  by  the  Lufembe.  One  seldom  sees  either 
old  men  or  old  women  ;•  thev  are  all  killed  in  the  raids ;  their  mar- 
ketable value  being  very  small,  no  trouble  is  taken  with  them. 

Witnessing  groups  of  these  poor,  helpless  wretches,  with  their 
emaciated  forms  and  sunken  eyes,  their  faces  a  very  picture  of 
sadness,  it  is  not  difficult  to  perceive  the  intense  grief  that  they 
are  inwardly  suffering;  but  they  know  only  too  well  that  it  is  of 
no  use  to  appeal  for  sympathy  to  their  merciless  masters,  who 
have  been  accustomed  from  childhood  to  witness  acts  of  cruelty 
and  brutality,  and  to  satisfy  their  insatiable  greed  will  commit, 
or  at  least  countenance,  any  atrocity,  however  great.  Even 
the  pitiable  sight  of  one  of  these  slave-sheds  does  not  half 
represent  the  misery   caused   by   this   traffic— homes  broken  up, 


THE  HORRORS  OF  SLAVERY.  191 

mothers  separated  from  their  babies,  husbands  from  wives,  and 
brothers  from  sisters.  At  Masankusu,  a  large  village  in  the  nest 
of  piratical  settlements,  I  saw  a  slave  woman  who  had  with  her 
one  child,  whose  starved  little  body  she  was  clutching  to  her 
shrunken  breast.  I  was  attracted  by  her  sad  face,  which  be- 
tokened great  suffering.  I  asked  her  the  cause  of  it,  and  she  told 
me  in  a  low,  sobbing  voice  the  following  tale : 

''I  was  living  with  my  husband  and  three  children  in  an  inland 
village,  not  many  miles  from  here.  My  husband  was  a  hunter. 
Ten  days  ago  the  Lufembe  raiders  attacked  our  settlement ;  my 
husband  defended  himself,  but  was  overpowered  and  speared  to 
death  with  several  of  the  other  villagers.  I  was  brought  here 
with  my  three  children,  two  of  whom  have  already  been  pur- 
chased by  the  slave  traders.  1  shall  never  see  them  any  more. 
Perhaps  they  will  sacrifice  them  on  the  death  of  some  chief,  or 
perhaps  kill  them  for  food.  My  remaining  child,  you  see,  is  ill, 
dying  from  starvation ;  they  give  us  nothing  to  eat.  I  expect 
even  this  one  will  be  taken  from  me  to-day,  as  the  cliief,  fearing 
lest  it  should  die  and  become  a  total  loss,  has  offered  it  for  a  very 
small  price.  As  for  myself,"  said  she,  "they  will  sell  me  to  one 
of  the  neighboring  tribes,  to  toil  in  the  plantations,  and  when  I 
become  old  and  unfit  for  work  I  shall  be  killed  to  celebrate  the 
death  of  a  free  man. " 

There  were  certainly  five  hundred  slaves  exposed  for  sale  in  this 
one  village  alone.  Large  canoes  were  constantly  arriving  from 
down  the  river,  with  merchandise  of  all  kinds  with  which  to 
purchase  these  slaves.  A  large  trade  is  carried  on  between  the 
Oubangi  and  Lulungu  Rivers.  The  people  inhabiting  the  mouth  of 
the  Oubangi  buy  the  Balolo  slaves  at  Masankusu  and  the  other 
markets.  They  then  take  them  up  the  Oubangi  River  and  ex- 
change them  with  the  natives  there  for  ivory.  These  natives  who 
are  confirmed  cannibals  buy  their  slaves  solely  for  food.  Having 
purchased  slaves  they  feed  them  on  ripe  bananas,  fisli,  and  oil, 
and  when  they  get  them  into  good  condition  they  kill  them. 
Hundreds  of  the  Balolo  slaves  are  taken  into  the  river  and  dis- 
posed of  in  this  way  each  month.     A  great  many  other  slaves  are 


192 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


sold  to  the  large  villages  on  the  Congo,  to  supply  victims  for  the 
execution  ceremonies. 

Much  life  is  lost  in  the  capturing  of  Slaves  and  during  their  cap- 
tivit}^  many  succumb  to  starvation.  Of  the  remainder,  numbers 
are  sold  to  become  victims  to  cannibalism  and  human  sacrifice 
ceremonies.     There  are  tew  indeed  who   are   allowed  to  live  and 

prosper. 
The  Lulungu  is  fed  by  two  branches  the  Lupuri  and  the  Malinga, 

which  have  their  junction  just 
above  the  village  of  Masankusu ; 
the  district  about  the  latter  is 
the  more  thickly  populated  and 
its  inhabitants  are  hunters  and 
trappers  of  elephants. 

The  natives  we  had  until  now 
visited  were  the  Ba-Nkundu, 
speaking  the  same  language 
and  having  the  same  tattoo 
marks  as  at  the  Equator  Sta- 
tion, a  row  of  rounded  scars 
down  the  forehead,  from  the 
hair  to  the  top  of  the  nose,  re- 
sembling exaggerated  pimples. 
When  we  steamed  away  from 
Masankusu  we  entered  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Baiolo,  who  are  the  principal  owners  of  the  land 
through  which  the  Malinga  flows ;  but  for  a  hundred  miles  up 
this  stream  the  whole  country  is  a  dense  forest  swamp,  and  all 
the  villagers  are  far  away  inland. 

Nearly  all  the  slaves  seen  in  the  markets  on  the  Lulungu  were 
from  the  branches  of  the  Lolo  nation.  Without  exception  the 
most  persecuted  race  in  the  dominions  of  the  Congo  Free  State  are 
the  Lolo  tribes,  inhabiting  the  country  through  which  the  Ma- 
linga and  Lupuri  Rivers  flow.  These  people  are  naturally  mild 
and  inoffensive.  Their  small,  unprotected  villages  are  con- 
stantly attacked  by  the  powerful   roving  tribes  of  the  Lufembe 


A   I.OLO  GIRL. 


THE  SLAVE-HUNTERS.  193 

and  Ngombe.  These  two  tribes  are  voracious  cannibals  and 
fierce  man-hunters,  and  lead  a  Nomadic  life,  roaming  through 
the  land  in  vast  hordes.  They  surround  the  Lolo  villages 
at  night,  and  at  the  first  signs  of  dawn  pounce  down  upon 
the  unsuspecting  Balolo,  killing  all  the  men  who  resist  and 
catching  all  the  rest,  of  both  sexes.  They  then  select  the 
strongest  and  most  robust  of  their  captives,  and  shackle 
them  hand  and  foot  to  prevent  their  escape.  As  a  rule 
after  such  a  raid  many  are  killed  for  cannibal  orgies.  These 
freebooters  form  a  small  encampment;  they  light  their  fires,  seize 
all  the  bananas  in  the  village,  and  any  other  supplies  there  may 
be,  and  rest  there  so  long  as  the  provisions  last.  They  then  march 
over  to  one  of  the  numerous  slave-markets  on  the  river,  where 
they  exchange  the  captives  with  the  slave-traders  of  the  Lulungu 
River  for  beads,  cloth,  brass  wire,  and  other  trinkets.  The 
slave-traders  pack  the  slaves  into  their  canoes  and  take  them 
down  to  the  villages  on  the  Lulungu  River  where  the  more  im- 
portant markets  are  held.  Masankusu,  the  village  we  have  just 
left,  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Lupuri  and  Malinga  tributaries, 
is  by  far  the  most  important  slave-trading  center.  The  people  of 
Masankusu  buy  their  slaves  from  the  Lufembe  and  Ngombe 
raiders,  and  sell  them  to  the  Lulungu  natives  and  traders  from 
down  river.  The  slaves  are  exhibited  for  sale  at  Masankusu  in 
long  sheds,  or  rather  under  simple  grass  roofs  supported  on  bare 
poles.  It  is  heart-rending  to  see  the  inmates  of  one  of  these  slave- 
sheds.  They  are  huddled  together  like  so  many  animals,  and  re- 
ceive just  enough  of  the  commonest  food  to  keep  life  flickering 
in  their  emaciated  bodies. 

It  was  a  long  dreary  journey  up  the  Malinga  to  the  first  Lolo 
villages.  The  land  was  so  flooded  b}^  a  long  rainy  season  that 
we  had  great  difficulty  in  finding  dry  stopping-places  for  gather- 
ing and  cutting  wood  for  the  steamer. 

At  one  camp,  where  we  had  anchored  for  the  night,  my  sentry 
on  the  boat  awoke  me  and  whispered,  "Njoku,  njoku"!  ("Ele- 
phants, elephants.")  Hurriedly  dressing,  I  got  out  and  saw, 
about  fifty  yards  from  the  bow  of  my  boat,  a   small   herd   of  ele- 


194  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

phants.  It  was  not  yet  morning.  I  could  hear  their  blowing  and 
could  dimly  perceive  their  great  heads  above  water,  but  it  was 
really  too  dark  to  shoot  with  any  chance  of  success.  We  deter- 
mined to  try,  however ;  so  the  engineer  and  myself  got  into  the 
canoe  with  our  crew,  and  pushed  off  toward  the  animals.  They 
were  in  shallow  water,  and  as  we  neared  them  they  became  con- 
fused and  huddled  together;  there  was  evidently  a  division  of 
opinion  as  to  whether  it  was  best  to  keep  on  the  way  they  were 
coming  or  return ;  they  continued  to  jostle  each  other  until  one  old 
bull,  furiously  trumpeting,  led  the  way  to  the  shore.  The  whole 
herd  stampeded  through  the  shallow  water,  splashing  up  the 
water  and  starting  big  waves  running  in  every  direction.  We  lost 
sight  of  the  black  mass  as  they  reached  the  shadow  of  the  forest- 
clad  bank  and  made  off  into  the  woods,  where  we  heard  them 
crashing  through  the  thicket  in  their  retreat.  At  the  first  signs  of 
daylight,  we  followed  them  for  several  miles,  but  did  not  come 
up  to  them.  If  they  had  arrived  half  an  hour  later  it  would  have 
been  light  enough  to  have  seen  the  bead  of  the  rifle;  as  it  was, 
although  we  were  at  one  time  within  twenty  feet  of  them,  we 
could  see  only  the  black  mass  of  the  bodies.  It  is  impossible  to 
shoot  with  any  accuracy  in  the  dark,  so  I  decided  to  make  no 
experiments.  If  a  wounded  animal  had  charged  us,  my  chances 
of  stopping  him  would  be  small  when  I  had  to  carry  on  the 
defense  at  night  time  from  an  unsteady  canoe. 

One  evening,  just  at  sundown,  turning  a  point  in  the  river,  we  es- 
pied in  the  distance  a  few  native  huts  built  on  a  low-lying  shore.  As 
we  neared  the  village  we  could  see  that  it  was  entirely  deserted,  and 
moreover,  there  were  ghastly  evidences  of  the  cause  of  the  deser- 
tion. The  huts  were  seven  in  number,  old,  dilapidated  habitations, 
built  on  piles,  with  a  floor  just  above  the  water's  edge.  Placed  on 
sticks  in  front  of  them  were  several  whitening  skulls.  What  a 
tale  of  suffering  these  grim  and  hideous  trophies  told !  Probably 
but  a  few  months  before,  the  poor  natives  had  been  surprised  at 
night  by  the  murderous  slave-raiders,  who  had  in  hideous  playful- 
ness thus  recorded  their  heathenish  work. 

I  hoped   to  find  dry  land   here ;  but   all   the   region  was   under 


AN  OLD  CANNIBAL  CHIEF.  195 

■vvater.  It  was  now  too  dark  to  go  farther,  so  I  anchored  for  the 
night,  allowing  my  men  to  go  in  my  canoe  to  these  native  huts, 
shelter  themselves  under  the  roofs,  and  light  their  fires  on  the 
raised  platforms.  The  dwellers  in  these  pile  houses,  in  order  that 
their  fires  shall  not  burn  their  wooden  stick  flooring,  always  have 
a  large  cake  of  clay  on  which  to  build  fires. 

There  was  one  of  these  huts  which,  by  its  size,  suggested  that 
it  had  been  the  general  Council  House  of  the  little  settlement.  My 
men  crowded  into  this,  and  after  talking,  smoking,  and  singing 
far  into  the  night,  they  rolled  themselves  in  their  mats  and  went 
to  sleep.  They  had  made  a  large,  bright  fire,  but  had  not  taken 
the  necessary  precaution  of  building  it  upon  the  clay.  In  the  dead 
of  night  the  deep  silence  was  rudely  broken  by  mingled  screams 
and  groans.  I  jumped  up  at  the  first  cry,  thinking  that  perhaps 
we  had  been  attacked.  The  fire  had  eaten  into  the  flooring  and  let 
my  men  through  into  the  water.  Such  an  unceremonious  waking 
they  had  never  experienced.  To  be  suddenly  hurled,  without  the 
slightest  warning,  from  their  cozy  sleep  to  the  deep,  dark  river 
below,  was  certainly  sufficient  excuse  for  the  screams,  groans, 
and  yells  which  rose  up  from  that  mass  of  black  figures,  floating 
mats,  and  sparks.  The  grinning  skulls,  lit  by  the  lamps  aboard 
the  "Florida,"  added  a  dramatic  weirdness  to  the  scene. 

Upon  nearing  the  village  of  Malinga  I  instructed  Bienelo  to 
announce  our  arrival  to  the  natives  by  the  signal  drum.  These  peo- 
ple had  been  so  intimidated  by  constant  raids  from  powerful  tribes 
that  they  feared  to  receive  us ;  they  had  erected  a  rough  stockade 
of  spiked  stakes  behind  which  they  crouched  and  warned  us  not 
to  steam  in  shore.  Knowing,  however,  that  it  was  only  through 
fear  that  they  displayed  this  apparent  hostility,  I  unloosened  my 
canoe  and  sent  two  of  my  men  to  hand  the  chief  a  present  of  cot- 
ton stuff  and  beads;  this  put  everybody  in  a  better  frame  of  mind 
and  prepared  the  way  for  a  talk.  Finally  I  went  ashore  myself 
and  underwent  the  ordeal  of  blood  brotherhood  with  old  Iseke- 
aka.  the  principal  chief.  He  gave  me  a  present  of  a  tusk  of  ivory 
weighing  sixty  pounds.  I  spent  three  days  in  this  village  and 
bought  a  big  pile  of  tusks  at  the  rate  of  about  three  cents  a  pound. 


196 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


They  were   delighted  with  the   opportunity,  which  our    coming 
afforded  them,  of  exchanging  their  property  for  our  cloth,  beads, 

shells,    brass    trinkets, 
and  empty  bottles. 

If  blood  brotherhood 
is  a  perpetual  relation- 
ship, I  have  amongst 
my  relatives  some  very 
undesirable  members- 
of  society.  This  old 
Chief  of  Malinga  ad- 
mitted to  me  in  confi- 
dence that  he  was  a 
cannibal,  but  only  re- 
sorted to  such  practices 
when  they  were  not 
catching  any  fish,  and 
his  people  were  suffer- 
ing from  hunger. 

Here  at  Malinga  the 
assembled  chiefs  voted 
me  several  tusks  of 
ivory  if  I  would  live 
among  them  and  de- 
fend them  against  the 
Lufembe,  and  enable 
them  to  resist  the  per- 
secutions they  were 
exposed  to  from  the 
neighboring  tribes, 
who  were  continually 
making  raids  into 
their  districts  and  cap- 
turing their  people.  It  always  appears  to  me  that  the  cry  for  justice 
uttered  by  the  poor  African  has  already  remained  too  long  un- 
answered,   They  said :    "  We  are  being  starved  to  death.     We  can 


A  LI  FKMBE  SLAVE-HUNTER. 


THE  BALOLO.  197 

make  no  plantations,  because  when  our  women  visit  them  they  are 
caught,  killed,  and  eaten  by  the  crafty  Lufembe,  who  are  constantly 
prowling  around  and  taking  away  any  stragglers  they  may  see." 
Isekeaka  told  me  that  already  from  time  to  time  twelve  of  his 
women  had  been  stolen  from  him,  and  several  of  his  children. 

It  can  be  readily  imagined  that  the  incessant  persecution  which 
the  natives  are  suffering  renders  them  cruel  and  remorseless. 
Throughout  the  regions  of  the  Malinga  they  become  so  brutalized 
by  hunger  that  they  eat  their  own  dead,  and  the  appearance  of 
one  of  their  villages  always  denotes  abject  misery  and  starvation. 
I  have  repeatedly  seen  young  children  eating  the  root  of  the 
banana  tree,  vainly  endeavoring  to  obtain  some  kind  of  nourish- 
ment from  its  succulence.  That  they  are  able  to  exist  at  all  is  a 
mystery.  Every  living  object  they  are  able  to  obtain  is  accepted 
as  food ;  different  kinds  of  flies,  caterpillars,  and  crickets  are  all 
eaten  by  these  people.  The  wretched  state  of  these  Balolo  has 
always  saddened  me,  as  intellectually  they  are  a  grade  higher 
than  the  tribes  surrounding  them ;  and  it  is  really  owing  to  the 
gentler  fiber  of  their  natures,  and  their  peaceful,  trusting  dis- 
position, that  they  easily  fall  a  prey  to  the  degraded  and  savage 
hordes  in  their  district.  They  have  artistic  taste  and  mechanical 
ingenuity,  and  make  exquisitely  woven  shields  and  curiously 
shaped  and  decorated  spears  and  knives.  They  are  exceedingly 
intelligent  and  faithful,  and,  when  properly  officered,  brave. 

One  who  has  lived  for  some  time  in  Central  Africa  comes  to 
understand  the  little  impression  that  acts  of  the  most  atrocious 
and  wanton  cruelty  make  on  the  savage  mind.  Surrounded  from 
childhood  by  scenes  of  bloodshed  and  torture,  their  holidays  and 
great  ceremonies  marked  by  massacres  of  slaves,  the  mildest  and 
most  sensitive  nature  becomes  brutalized  and  callous;  and  if  this 
is  so  with  the  free,  what  must  be  the  effect  upon  the  slave,  torn 
when  a  child  from  its  mother,  perhaps  at  the  age  of  two  years, 
and  even  in  its  infancy  compelled  to  suffer  privation.  If  indeed 
this  child  runs  tlie  gauntlet  of  cannibalism  and  execution  cere- 
monies, it  can  hardly  be  expected  that  he  will  sympathize  with 
any  suffering. 


198  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

Suppression  of  human  sacrifice  ceremonies  on  the  Upper  Congo 
and  tributaries  would  be  a  great  blow  to  slavery.  For  a  chief 
during  his  life-time  devotes  his  ambition  to  the  accumulation  of 
slaves,  so  that  he  may  be  surrounded  by  numerous  women  and 
warriors  during  his  life-time,  and  have  his  importance  signalized  at 
his  death  by  the  execution  of  about  half  the  number  of  the  people 
he  has  purchased  body  and  soul. 

Cannibalism  exists  amongst  all  the  peoples  on  the  Upper  Congo 
east  of  16°  E.  longitude,  and  is  prevalent  to  an  even  greater  extent 
among  the  people  inhabiting  the  banks  of  the  numerous  affluents. 

During  my  first  visit  to  the  upper  waters  of  the  Malinga  River 
cannibalism  was  brought  to  my  notice  in  a  ghastly  manner.  One 
night  I  heard  a  woman's  piercing  shriek,  followed  by  a  stifled, 
gurgling  moan ;  then  boisterous  laughter,  when  all  again  became 
silent.  In  the  morning  I  was  horrified  to  see  a  native  offering  for 
sale  to  my  men  a  piece  of  human  flesh,  the  skin  of  which  bore  the 
tribal  tattoo  mark  of  the  Balolo.  I  afterward  learned  that  the  cry 
we  had  heard  at  night  was  from  a  female  slave  whose  throat  had 
been  cut.  I  was  absent  from  this  village  of  Malinga  for  ten  days. 
On  my  return  I.  inquired  if  any  further  bloodshed  had  taken  place, 
and  was  informed  that  five  other  women  had  been  killed. 

Proceeding  up  stream  from  Malinga  a  few  hours  brought  me  to 
Baulu,  the  most  important  ivory  market  on  the  river.  Here  I 
bought  in  one  afternoon  and  through  the  night  four  thousand 
pounds  of  elephants'  tusks  at  an  average  of  two  cents  per  pound. 
The  native  trader  would  bring  a  tusk  along  and  sit  down  on  it  to  do 
his  bargaining  in  order  to  maintain  full  possession  till  the  trans- 
action was  completed.  In  one  hand  he  would  hold  his  knife  in 
readiness  in  case  he  should  be  obliged  to  defend  his  property.  This 
precaution  was  no  arrogant  display,  but  simply  a  suggestion  to  the 
purchaser  that  he  would  have  to  pay  before  getting  his  goods,  and 
if  he  attempted  to  take  the  tusk  without  payment  a  serious  con- 
test would  be  the  result. 

In  making  a  sale  they  commence  by  asking  an  extravagant  fig- 
ure and  gradually  decrease  the  amount  to  a  reasonable  price. 
They  mention  the  different  articles  they  want,  for  example,  forty 


TRADING  IX  IVORY. 


199 


brass  rods,  two  yards  of  handkerchief,  two  forks,  two  spoons,  etc., 
and  whilst  speaking  they  emphasize  the  numbers  by  denoting 
them  with  their  fingers. 

In  this  journey  up  the  Malinga  I  visited  every  village  and 
ascended  the  stream  till  the  waters  were  so  narrow  I  could  just 
turn  the  boat.  Everywhere  we  succeeded  in  making  friends  with 
the   people,  though   it  was   exceedingly  difficult  at  times.     They 


A  LOLO    IVORV    TRADER. 


frequently  threatened  us  with  spears  and  arrows  till  we  had  given 
them  presents  and  proved  our  inoffensive  intentions.  It  was 
something  very  new  to  them  to  receive  a  friendly  visit  from  a 
force  perfectly  capable  of  overcoming  them.  And  when  they 
grasped  their  weapons  at  our  approach,  they  were  simply  acting 
with  very  natural  precaution. 

So  wretched  is  the  condition  of  the  people  on  the  upper 
reaches  of  the  Malinga  that  numbers  of  them  have  been  driven  by 
the  Lufembe  from  their  settlements  on  the  mainland,  and  are 
actually  compelled  to  live  on  the  river  in  miserable  huts,  the  floors 
of  which  are  supported  on  piles.     From  these  dwellings  they  sus- 


200  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

pend  their  nets,  and  as  the  river  is  full  of  fish,  they  subsist  almost 
entirely  on  the  produce  of  their  hauls.  This  has  given  rise  to  a 
curious  state  of  things ;  for,  as  the  Luf embe  grow  only  manioc, 
and  have  more  roots  than  are  suflHcient  for  the  tribe,  they  are  only 
too  glad  to  exchange  these  for  fish  caught  by  their  victims.  And 
so  when  a  market  is  held  an  armed  truce  is  declared,  and  Lufembe 
and  Malinga  mingle  together  and  barter,  with  their  products  held 
in  one  hand  and  a  drawn  knife  ready  in  the  other.  At  all  these  vil- 
lages we  were  able  to  buy  ivory,  most  of  it  very  cheap.  Many  of 
the  people  had  no  idea  of  its  value  at  all.  I  remember  I  purchased 
one  tusk  weighing  seventy-five  pounds  for  beads  and  shells  of  the 
value  of  one  dollar.  At  the  present  day  I  have  no  doubt  the 
conditions  are  greatly  changed,  new  trading  boats  have  made  re- 
peated visits  and  the  natives  have  learned  the  value  of  ivory. 

Many  of  the  tusks  were  much  injured  by  having  been  hidden 
in  the  stream  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the  slave  catcher.  It 
was  curious  to  see  a  native  dive  into  the  river  and  fetch  up  a  big 
tusk  from  his  watery  cellar  for  sale. 

Most  of  the  ivory  is  procured  by  a  branch  of  the  Balolo  called  the 
Bambutu,  who  inhabit  the  extreme  headwaters  of  the  river. 

They  kill  the  elephants  by  spear  traps  and  pitfalls,  and  also 
attack  them  on  foot  and  stab  the  brutes  with  their  heavy  spears. 

I  came  down  stream  with  the  boat  well  loaded  with  ivory.  At 
one  place  where  I  camped  to  cut  wood,  I  found  smoldering  fires 
and  signs  of  a  recent  visit  from  a  big  band  of  men.  I  took 
the  precaution  to  place  sentries  around  so  that  my  wood-cutters 
would  not  be  surprised  by  hostile  natives ;  but  we  saw  no  enemy. 
We  had  been  stealthily  watched,  however,  all  the  time,  for  when 
we  steamed  out  into  the  stream  a  mob  of  savages,  with  faces 
blackened  and  ready  for  fighting,  sprang  into  the  clearing  we  had 
just  left.  I  presume  they  wanted  to  make  us  believe  they  had  just 
arrived,  intending  to  find  us  ashore.  Among  them  were  some  of 
the  Lufembe,  with  whom  I  would  like  to  have  a  tilt,  so  I  put 
the  nose  of  the  boat  inshore  again,  and  the  brave  persecutors' of 
the  defenseless  Balolo  proved  at  once  that  their  powers  of  prompt 
departure  were  quite  equal  to  the  abruptness  of  their  arrival. 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


201 


In  every  village  we  saw  slaves  for  sale,  poor  hungry  creatures 
of  both  sexes  from  babies  to  full  grown  men  and  women.  Just 
above  the  Equator  Station  is  the  river  Ikelemba,  peopled  also  by 
the  Balolo  and  overrun  by  the  slave  raiding  Lufembe  and  ISTgombe. 
I  ascended  to  the  head  of  navigation  of  this  stream  which  is 
probably  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  its  entire  length,  and 
varies  in  width  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred  yards. 


"FOR  SALE. 


There  are  clearings  at  intervals  all  along  the  banks  of  the 
Ikelemba,  where  on  certain  days  are  held  small  local  markets  for 
the  exchange  of  slaves.  As  one  travels  up  stream  small  settle- 
ments are  passed  more  and  more  frequently,  and  fifty  miles  from 
the  mouth  all  the  country  on  the  left  side  of  the  river  is  thickly 
""populated.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  villages  are  all  on  the  left  side 
of  the  river,  the  opposite  side  being  infested  by  marauding  and 
roving  tribes  who  would  raid  any  settlement  made  on  their  banks. 
All  the  slaves  from  this  river  are  Balolo,  a  tribe  which  is  easily 
recognizable  by  the  exaggerated  tattoo  marked  on  the  forehead, 
on  the  side  of  the  temples,  and  chin. 


202  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

During  my  ten  days'  visit  to  this  river  I  met  dozens  of  canoes 
belonging  to  the  country  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ruki  river  and  the 
Bukute  district,  whose  owners  had  come  up  and  bought  slaves, 
and  were  returning  with  their  purchases.  When  traveling  from 
place  to  place  on  the  river  the  slaves  are,  for  convenience,  relieved 
<^f  the  weight  of  the  heavy  shackles.  The  traders  always  carry, 
hanging  from  the  sheaths  of  their  knives,  light  handcuffs,  formed 
of  cord  and  cane.  The  slave  when  purchased  is  packed  on  the 
floor  of  the  canoe  in  a  crouching  posture  with  his  hands  bound  in 
front  of  him  by  means  of  these  handcuffs.  During  the  voyage  he 
is  carefully  guarded  by  the  crew  of  standing  paddlers ;  and  when 
the  canoe  is  tied  to  the  bank  at  night  the  further  precaution  is 
taken  of  changing  the  position  in  which  the  hands  are  bound  and 
pinioning  them  behind  his  back,  to  prevent  him  from  endeavoring 
to  free  himself  by  gnawing  through  the  strands.  To  make  any 
attempt  at  escape  quite  impossible,  his  wrist  is  bound  to  that  of 
one  of  his  sleeping  masters,  who  would  be  aroused  at  his  slightest 
movement. 

In  one  canoe,  which  I  noticed  particularly,  there  were  five  trad- 
ers, and  their  freight  of  miserable  humanity  consisted  of  thirteen 
emaciated  Balolo  slaves,  men,  women,  and  little  children,  all 
showing  unmistakably  by  their  sunken  eyes  and  meager  bodies 
the  starvation  and  the  cruelty  to  which  they  had  been  subjected. 
These  slaves  are  taken  down  to  the  large  villages  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Ruki,  where  they  are  sold  in  exchange  for  ivory  to  the  people 
in  the  Ruki  or  the  Oubangi  district,  who  buy  them  to  supply  some 
cannibal  orgy.  A  few,  however,  are  sold  about  the  district,  the 
men  to  be  used  as  warriors,  and  the  women  as  wives ;  but  com- 
pared with  the  numbers  who  suffer  from  the  persecution  of  the 
slave-raiders,  few  indeed  ever  live  to  attain  a  secure  position  of 
even  the  humblest  kind  in  a  village. 

I  purchased  the  redemption  of  a  great  many  slaves  during  my 
life  on  the  Congo,  and  it  was  curious  to  observe  the  different 
effects  on  slaves  freed  so  unexpectedly.  As  a  rule,  the  bewildered 
man  would  go  from  one  to  another  of  my  boat's  crew,  asking  all 
sorts  of  questions  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  ceremony.     What  was. 


REDEMPTION  OF  CAPTIVES.  203 

to  be  his  fate?  Was  he  to  be  exchanged  for  ivory,  or  was  he  to 
be  eaten?  And  it  would  take  some  time  and  patience  to  explain 
to  him,  after  his  first  surprise  was  over,  the  full  import  of  the 
paper  I  had  placed  in  his  possession.  Others,  more  intelligent, 
would  immediately  understand  the  good  fortune  that  had  befallen 
them ;  and  it  was  strange  to  see  the  startling  change  in  the  ex- 
pression of  their  countenances,  Avhicli  a  moment  before  betokened 
nothing  but  unresisting  acquiescence  in  their  miserable  destiny, 
and  to  note  their  inert  and  weary  bodies,  which  seemed  at  once  to 
become  erect  and  vigorous,  when  released  from  the  degrading 
fetters. 

Several  of  my  crew  were  Balolo  slaves  whom  I  engaged  at  the 
Equator  Station.  When  first  I  engaged  them  they  came  into  my 
hands  in  the  rough.  They  were  savages,  some  of  them  cannibals; 
but  they  were  of  a  very  malleable  nature,  and  with  a  policy  of  firm- 
ness and  fair  play  I  was  able  to  convert  them  into  devoted  and 
faithful  servants.  As  evidence  of  what  can  be  done  by  gaining 
the  confidence  of  the  natives,  through  a  policy  of  firmness  and 
fairness,  I  think  I  may  safely  quote  my  experience  at  the  Equator 
Station.  I  had  previously  to  taking  the  "Florida,"  remained 
there  for  several  months  with  only  one  Zanzibari  soldier ;  all  the 
rest  of  my  people  were  natives  I  had  engaged  from  the  neighbor- 
ing villages.  I  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  powerful  people, 
who,  had  they  wished,  could  easily  have  overcome  me  and  pil- 
laged my  post.  But  not  the  slightest  act  of  hostility  or  of  an  un- 
friendly nature  was  ever  attempted,  and  I  felt  just  as  secure 
among  them  as  I  do  in  London  or  New  York.  It  is  true  the  natives 
had  nothing  to  gain  by  molesting  me,  and  they  were  intelligent 
enough  to  perceive  that  fact.  In  realit}^  my  presence  was,  to  a 
great  extent,  beneficial  to  their  interests.  I  had  cloth,  beads, 
looking-glasses,  spoons,  cups,  and  trinkets,  and  these  I  exchanged 
with  them;  every  now  and  then  I  would  organize  a  little  liunt 
after  elephants  or  hippopotami ;  and  as  my  part  in  the  consump- 
tion of  either  of  these  animals  was  a  very  small  one,  most  of  the 
meat  was  given  to  the  natives. 

My  life  during  my  stay  at  tha  Equator  Station  was  a  pleasant 


204  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

one.  The  people  were  of  a  happy  and  gay  disposition ;  all  were 
friendly  and  talkative.  They  would  sit  for  hours  and  listen  most 
attentively  to  my  tales  of  Europe,  and  their  intelligent  questions 
proved  them  to  be  possessed  of  keen  understanding.  There  is  no 
more  attentive  audience  in  the  whole  world  than  a  group  of  Afri- 
can savages,  if  you  can  speak  their  language  and  make  yourself 
understood.  When  I  was  tired  of  talking  to  them,  I  would  ask 
them  questions  concerning  their  manners,  customs,  and  traditions. 
As  I  was  much  impressed  by  their  cruelty,  I  always  made  a  point 
of  expressing  my  abhorrence  of  it,  and  have  even  told  them  that 
one  day  I  should  strike  a  blow  for  the  slave.  My  audience  on  such 
occasions  consisted  principally  of  slaves,  and  these  poor  wretches 
were  always  much  gratified  to  hear  my  friendly  opinions  toward 
themselves.  My  arguments,  I  could  see,  often  appealed  strongly 
to  the  chiefs  themselves,  as  I  asked  them:  "Why  do  you  kill 
these  people?  Do  you  think  they  have  no  feeling  because  they 
are  slaves?  How  would  you  like  to  see  your  own  child  torn  away 
from  you  and  sold  into  slavery,  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  canni- 
balism, or  to  be  executed?"  Some  of  them  even  said,  at  the  time, 
that  they  would  not  hold  any  more  executions.  The  executions 
did  take  place,  however,  but  in  a  secret  manner,  and  all  news  of 
them  WRs  kept  from  my  ears  until  some  time  afterward,  when  I 
learned  of  them  from  m.y  own  men.  But  I  would  have  been 
unable  to  prevent  the  carrying  out  of  such  a  ceremony  with  the 
force  I  had  at  my  disposal  in  a  single  Zanzibari  soldier! 

I  remember  hearing  of  one  execution  which  took  place  during  my 
absence  on  an  exploring  trip,  the  details  of  which  I  learned  from  a 
slave.  It  was  to  celebrate  the  death  of  a  chief  who  had  been 
drowned  while  on  a  trading  expedition.  As  soon  as  the  hews  of 
his  death  was  brought  to  the  village,  several  of  his  slaves  were 
tied  hand  and  foot  and  lashed  down  into  the  bottom  of  a  canoe. 
The  canoe  was  then  towed  out  to  the  middle  of  the  river  at  night; 
holes  were  bored  in  it,  and  it  was  allowed  to  sink  with  its  human 
freight.  When  we  are  able  to  prohibit  the  sacrifice  of  human  life 
which  the  children  of  to-day  are  compelled  constantly  to  witness, 
more  humane  feelings  may  develop  themselves,  and  surrounded 


S  UPPRESSION-  OF  SLA  VER  Y.  205 

by   healthy   influences  they   will,  unspoiled  at  least  by  open  ex- 
hibitions of  cruelty,  grow  into  a  far  nobler  generation. 

The  people  on  the  lower  part  of  the  Upper  Congo  seldom  prac- 
tice slave-raiding.  It  is  only  when  we  come  to  the  Bakute  dis- 
trict that  we  are  brought  much  in  contact  with  it.  The  large  vil- 
lages around  Stanley  Pool,  Chumbiri,  Bolobo,  Lukolela,  Butunu, 
Xgombe,  Busindi,  Irebu,  Lake  Mantumba ,  and  the  Oubangi  River^ 
all  rely  principally  upon  the  Balolo  tribes  for  their  slaves.  All 
these  villages  except  Stanley  Pool  are  daily  making  human  sacri- 
fices, either  in  connection  with  the  death  of  a  chief  or  for  some 
other  ceremonial  reason. 

From  Banana  Point  to  Stanley  Pool  slavery  does  exist,  but  of 
such  a  mild  character  that  when  operations  are  actually  begun 
Stanley  Pool  should  be  the  starting  point.  If  half  a  dozen  fast 
boats  were  placed  on  the  river  at  Stanley  Pool,  each  armed  with 
twenty  black  soldiers,  officered  by  two  or  three  Europeans  who 
had  proved  by  their  past  services  that  they  were  capable  of  deal- 
ing with  the  question,  and  if  such  a  force  had  the  recognition  of 
the  civilized  powers  and  was  allowed  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  evil,, 
thousands  of  human  lives  would  be  saved. 

These  boats  would  be  continually  moving  about  the  river,  and 
those  in  command  would  begin  by  making  a  careful  study  of  local 
politics.  They  would  have  tc  convince  the  natives  of  their  deter- 
mination to  stop  these  diabolical  ceremonies  of  bloodshed.  The 
natives  should  be  warned  that  any  villages  which  in  the  future 
were  guilty  of  carrying  out  such  ceremonies  w^ould  be  most 
severely  punished.  Some  of  the  better-disposed  native  chiefs 
would  have  to  be  bought  over  to  the  side  of  the  white  man.  Spies 
should  be  engaged  all  over  the  district,  so  that  a  boat  on  arriving 
would  immediately  hear  of  any  execution  that  was  about  to  take 
place  or  that  had  taken  place ;  and  I  would  suggest  that  any  vil- 
lage which  still  continued  these  acts  of  cruelty,  after  liaving  been 
fairly  and  fully  warned,  should  be  attacked,  and  a  severe  example 
made  of  the  principal  offenders.  A  few  such  punishments  would 
soon  have  a  most  salutary  effect.  These  operations  should  be  car- 
ried on  between  Stanley  Pool  and  the  Falls.     Posts  should  also  be 


206 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


established  in  commanding  positions  to  control  the  mouths  of  the 
slave-raiding  rivers.  Each  point  should  be  supplied  with  a  patrol 
boat  for  the  lower  river.  Other  stations  should  be  established 
in  the  center  of  the  slave-raiding  district.  Slaves  at  the  time  in 
the  market  might  be  redeemed  and  placed  in  some  settlement 
where  they  could  learn  some  handicraft  or  receive  training  as 
soldiers  with  the  ultimate  object  of  creating  an  army  of  slaves 
with  which  to  fight  the  raiders. 


A  WKIRD  CAMPING  PLACE. 


N^v  •;  -^ 


THE    FLORIDA." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  CANNIBALS  OF  THE  OUBANGI 

Return  to  Kinsassa— Hunting  in  Stani.ky  Pool— Thk  "Nkw  York"— Stanley— The  Emin 
Bey   Relief   Expedition- Tutu   Tib— My   cook    "IMochindu'-Tiie    Fierce    Bahi  — 

BlENELO'S    fight— BACCUNG    AN  ELEPHANT— CANNIBAL  AVARI!  lORS— WAR— BARBAROUS  CUS- 
TOMS—FISHING— KILLED  BY'   AN   ELEPHANT. 


Having  collected  in  the  Malinga  a  cargo  of  several  tons  of  ivory, 
I  proceeded  down  stream  with  the  "  Florida"  to  our  base  of  sup- 
plies at  Kinsassa  at  the  lower  end  of  Stanley  Pool. 

The  "Florida"  was  a  most  comfortable  boat;  she  was  over  sixty 
feet  in  length  and  about  thirteen  feet  beam  ;  there  were  good  cabin 
accommodations  on  board  and  she  was  fitted  with  powerful  engines. 
She  was,  however,  too  large  a  boat  for  steaming  up  the  small  chan- 
nels at  the  headwaters  of  rivers  which  it  was  my  duty  to  explore. 

We  already  had  a  smaller  boat  on  the  stocks  at  Kinsassa,  which 
when  completed  would  be  handed  over  to  me,  and  I  would  in  future 
conduct  my  investigations  with  her  instead  of  the  "Florida,"  which 
was  needed  to  carry  supplies  to  the  different  trading  posts  we  had 
already  established  on  the  Congo  and  its  tributaries. 

I  was  able  to  do  some  very  useful  work  with  my  rifle  whilst 
down  stream.  The  natives  around  Stanley  Pool  were  suffering 
from  a  veritable  famine,  owing  to  the  failure  of  their  crops  and 


208 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


the  scarcity  of  fish  in  the  river,  and  my  crew  of  the  Bankundi 
V.  horn  I  had  brought  down  with  me,  had  difficulty  in  obtaining 
sufficient  suppUes,  but  there  were  herds  of  hippopotami  to  be 
found  in  the  sheltered  bays  and  on  the  sand-banks  of  Stanley 
Pool,  and  I  succeeded  in  considerably  decreasing  the  number  of 
these  animals  and  furnishing  an  ample  if  not  luxurious  meat  sup- 
ply for  my  people. 

The  "  New  York"  was  by  no  means  a  success ;  she  was  but 
twenty -five  feet  in  length,  with  no  cabin,  and  had  a  single  cylinder 
engine,  and  though  she  consumed  an  extravagant  pile  of  fire- 
wood, she  was  the  slowest  boat  on  the  river.  When  her  steaming 
capacity  was  being  urged  to  the  utmost,  she  developed  about  one 

"  dog"  power. 

In  future  my  time  would  be  devoted  to  journeys  by  water  to  far 
away  villages,  and  I  decided  to  retain  for  myself  at  the  Equator 
Station  a  part  of  the  building  to  be  utilized  as  a  reserve  store- 
house for  my  expedition.  The  Equator  was  a  central  point  for 
my  work,  and  as  a  base  of  supplies  was  far  more  convenient  and 
practicable  than  Kinsassa. 

Early  in  1887,  my  quiet  little  station  at  the  Equator  was  thrown 
into  a  fever  of  excitement  by  a  very  interesting  occurrence.  The 
shouts  from  my  men  told  me  that  a  boat  had  been  sighted. 

I  ran  hastily  to  the  beach  and  saw  the  little  steamer  "  Peace'* 
breasting  the  rapid  river  at  the  point  just  below,  and  out  in  the 
stream  were  "Le  Stanley"  and  the  "  Henry  Reed,"  each  towing 
lighters  alongside,  and  battling  against  the  swift  current.  I  could 
see  that  the  decks  of  all  the  boats  were  crowded  with  blacks,  and 
besides  the  natives  there  were  several  white  men  aboard. 

It  was  evident  to  me  that  some  important  expedition  was  on  its 
way  up  river  in  this  formidable  flotilla. 

As  the  first  boat  neared  my  beach,  I  glanced  along  the  deck^ 
and  to  my  intense  delight  I  saw  standing  in  the  bow  of  the 
"  Peace"  my  old  chief  Mr.  Stanley.  Having  received  no  warning 
of  the  arrival  of  this  expedition,  it  was  naturally  a  great  surprise. 
I  felt  beside  myself  with  excitement,  and  shouted,  "  Hip,  hip,  hur- 
rah!" at  the  top  of  my  voice  as  the  boat  touched  the  shore.     Mr, 


A  VISIT  FROM  STANLEY.  209 

Stanley  was  dressed  in  his  usual  traveling  costume  of  jacket, 
knickerbockers,  and  peak  cap,  and  he  looked  remarkably  well. 
He  dined  with  me,  and  explained  during  the  evening  that  the 
black  crowds  on  board  the  boats  were  men  of  his  expedition  for 
the  relief  of  Emin  Bey  at  Wadelai. 

The  next  day  was  occupied  by  the  members  of  the  expedition  in 
procuring  food  for  the  journey,  and  by  the  crews  of  the  boats  in 
cutting  dry  wood  for  the  steamers. 

I  had  then  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Stanley's  gallant  officers, 
whose  names  are  now  so  well  known  to  the  world. 

The  Equator  Station  had  never  seen  so  busy  a  day.  Crowds  of 
Zanzibaris,  Soudanese,  and  other  blacks  hurried  about  all  day ;  and 
old  Tippu  Tib,  the  well-known  Arab  chief,  who  was  being  taken 
up  to  his  headquarters  at  Stanley  Falls,  pitched  his  tent  in  my 
yard.  He  and  his  followers  occupied  it  during  their  stay.  Tippu 
was  certainly  a  fine-looking  old  fellow  and  a  very  intelligent  man. 
He  looked  like  a  pure  negro  and  showed  no  sign  of  the  Arab 
blood  which  was  supposed  to  be  in  his  veins.  He  wore  a  long  white 
linen  robe,  and  around  his  waist  a  silk  sash  in  which  was  stuck 
his  silver-hilted  dagger.  On  hisfeet  he  wore  a  pair  of  light  san- 
dals, ornamented  with  fine  embossed  leather. 

Being  able  to  speak  his  language,  I  had  quite  a  long  talk  with 
him,  and  I  was  surprised  at  his  accurate  knowledge  concerning 
European  matters. 

Mr.  Stanley  was  exceedingly  jolly  all  day  ;  nothing  occurred  to 
worry  or  trouble  him  during  his  brief  stay  at  my  station. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  entertaining  him  at  dinner,  together  with 
all  his  officers,  on  the  night  before  their  departure  up  river. 

Early  on  the  third  morning,  Stanley  and  the  Emin  Bey  relief 
expedition  moved  up  river,  leaving  the  Equator  Station  again  to 
its  wonted  quiet. 

Since  that  time  the  great  explorer  and  his  brave  followers,  after 
suffering  terrible  privations  and  hardships  in  their  arduous  jour- 
ney through  Africa,  have  braved  the  lurking  dangers  of  the  dense 
forests,  fought  off  the  savage  hordes  of  cannibals  and  dwarfs,  and 
rescued  and  brought  Emin  Pacha  back  to  the  coast. 


210 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


On  the  "  Florida"  there  was  a  good  cooking  stove,  and  it  was 
possible  to  enjoy  a  very  fair  table.  But  the  "New  York"  was 
only  seven  feet  wide ;  and  as  two-thirds  of  the  boat  were  taken 
up  by  the  machinery  and  boiler,  the  small  space  amidships 
did  not  give  sufficient  room  for  myself  and  crew,  and  I  had 
to  tow  a  large  dug-out  alongside.     In  this  canoe  I  carried  some 


TRIALS  OF  AN    AFP.UAN   COOK. 


of  my  men,  with  their  mats  and  cooking-pots,  two  or  three  goats, 
some  fowls,  and  last,  but  not  least  important,  my  cooking  appar- 
atus— a  small  earthenware  native  bowl  in  which  my  cook  kept  his 
fire  and  over  which  every  dish  was  cooked.  My  cook  was  a 
native  boy,  named  Mochindu,  to  whom  I  had  imparted,  to  the 
best  of  my  ability,  the  few  culinary  recipes  which  I  had  gathered 
during  my  travels.  But  his  position  as  cook  on  board  my  boat 
was  not  an  enviable  one,  as  he  was  exposed  to  all  weathers,  and 
sometimes  had  to  turn  out  a  dish  under  the  most  trying  circum- 
stances.    The   slightest  ripple  of  the  water  or   any  movement  of 


MV  NATIVE  COOK.  211 

the  men  in  the  canoe  would  upset  any  gastronomic  calculation 
that  he  might  have  made.  Often  he  had  to  fry  a  fowl  or  make 
some  kind  of  stew  under  a  heavy  downpour  of  rain;  and  the  poor 
little  chap  had  a  very  dejected  appearance  as  he  struggled 
to  hold  up  an  umbrella  to  keep  the  rain  from  the  fire,  and  at  the 
same  time  made  frantic  efforts  to  save  the  whole  cooking  appar- 
atus from  toppling  over  as  the  canoe  lurched  from  side  to  side. 
When  his  cooking  was  all  finished  and  the  dishes  were  passed 
along  to  the  boat,  he  always  seemed  to  give  a  sigh  of  relief  as  he 
stepped  out  of  the  canoe  and  crept  into  the  boat  near  the  boiler  to 
get  thoroughly  warmed  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  next  culinary 
struggle. 

I  remember  that  one  day  he  was  frying  some  fowl  which  he  had 
chopped  up  into  cutlets.  We  were  on  the  beach  of  a  large  vil- 
lage, and  were  surrounded  by  natives,  a  group  of  whom, 
evidently  attracted  by  the  savory  odor  of  the  cooking,  pointed 
to  something  in  the  boat  and  asked  my  little  cook  what  it  was. 
When  he  turned  his  head  in  the  direction  indicated,  one  of  the 
fellows  made  a  grab  at  the  pan  and,  snatching  two  of  the  cutlets, 
bolted  off.  When  Mochindu  came  to  look  into  the  pan,  for  the 
purpose  of  turning  over  his  meat,  he  connected  the  hasty  retreat 
of  the  native  with  the  ominous  gap  in  his  frying-pan,  and  picking 
up  his  knife  made  a  rush  for  the  fellow.  Then  I  saw  a  great 
struggle  going  on.  Blows  were  being  exchanged,  and  there  was 
a  tussle  on  the  ground ;  and  presently  Mochindu  returned,  hold- 
ing in  his  hand  the  missing  cutlets.  His  face,  begrimed  with  dirt, 
seemed  struggling  between  sorrow  at  the  mishap  and  joy  at  hav- 
ing recovered  the  booty.  If  I  had  not  been  watching  him  he 
would  have  put  the  cutlets  back  in  the  pan  in  spite  of  the  sand 
and  dirt  they  had  accumulated. 

During  the  two  months'  voyage  which  I  made  on  the  Oubangi 
Eiver,  I  had  much  experience  in  dealing  with  some  of  the  wild- 
est natives  in  the  Congo  basin.  The  Oubangi,  which  enters  the 
north  bank  of  the  Congo  nearly  opposite  Equator  Station,  has 
four  hundred  miles  of  navigable  water  before  the  rapids  are 
reached.     On  the  lower  reaches  of  the  river  the  Balui,  a  section  of 


212  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

the  Bangala  tribe,  have  settled.  These  people,  besides  being 
keen  traders,  are  skillful  hunters.  They  trap  the  elephant  in  the 
forests,  and  on  foot  pluckily  hunt  with  spears  the  buffalo  in  the 
plains ;  nor  is  the  hippopotamus  in  the  river  safe  from  their  deadly 
weapons.  They  attack  him  while  he  sleeps  on  a  sand-bank  or  in 
shallow  water,  stabbing  him  with  a  heavy  spear,  to  the  handle  of 
which  a  float  is  attached  by  a  cord,  so  that  if  they  only  succeed  in 
wounding  him,  his  whereabouts  may  be  known  by  the  float  which 
remains  fastened  to  the  weapon. 

I  ascended  this  river  in  the  "New  York,"  and  was  accompanied 
by  only  fifteen  Ba-Nkundu  men  recruited  from  the  villages 
around  the  Equator  Station.  Our  small  numerical  strength  was 
taken  advantage  of  by  the  savages.  They  tried  in  every  way  to  im- 
pose on  me.  These  Balui  are  a  most  murderous  and  piratical  race, 
and  to  their  other  shortcomings  is  added  that  of  cannibalism. 
They  are  constantly  lying  in  wait,  concealed  in  their  canoes  amidst 
grass  and  bush,  near  to  some  of  their  neighbors'  fishing-grounds; 
and  upon  the  arrival  of  a  small  party  of  fishermen,  they  will  steal 
out  from  their  hiding-places,  give  chase,  spear  the  fishermen,  and 
devour  the  bodies  of  those  who  fall  in  the  fray.  They  tried  on 
several  occasion  to  pick  quarrels  with  my  men,  and  at  one  place 
the  relationship  between  the  villages  and  my  crew  became  seri- 
ously strained.  Bienelo  had  bought  a  bunch  of  bananas  from  a 
woman,  and  he  and  his  friends  had  consumed  half  of  them,  when 
the  husband  of  the  woman  arrived  and  insisted  that  the  fruit 
should  be  forthwith  returned.  This  old  savage  was  too  angry  to 
listen  to  reason  and  admit  the  impossibility  of  his  demand,  and  he 
sought  to  gain  redress  by  attacking  Bienelo  with  his  spear;  but 
my  dusky  aide-de-camp  was  an  expert  in  the  use  of  arms.  He 
sprang  at  his  assailant  and  dextrously  stabbed  the  fellow  in  the 
stomach  with  his  own  spear.  The  wounded  man  raised  a  cry  for 
help  and  was  immediately  surrounded  by  the  warriors  of  the  set- 
tlement. Bienelo  joined  my  crew  who  were  cutting  wood  and 
warned  them  of  the  danger  of  an  attack,  and  they  returned 
quickly  to  the  boat. 

Hearing  of  this  trouble  I  rushed  ashore  and  was  met  by  a  crowd 


A  WOUNDED   WARRIOR. 


213 


•of  natives  moving  toward  the  beach  in  threatening  array,  every 
one  holding  his  weapon  in  readiness.  My  little  black  servant 
"Itela"had  followed  me  with  my  elephant  rifle  and  with  this  in 
my  possession  I  felt  more  comfortable ;  by  this  time  my  men  had 
got  their  loaded  rifles  and  were  prepared  for  a  fight.  •  I  did  not 
want  war  at  all.  The  natives  were  in  overwhelming  numbers, 
and  my  supply  of  cartridges  was  not  a  very  liberal  one. 


OUHANGI   AKMS  AND  PIPE. 


I  could  have  held  my  own,  but  I  had  many  hundred  miles  to 
journey  up  the  Oubangi,  and  if  I  engaged  in  a  contest  now  I 
should  certainly  lose  some  of  my  men  and  exhaust  my  ammuni- 
tion and  should  be  compelled  to  return  to  the  Equator  for  fresh 
supplies.     I  decided  to  fight  this  battle  with  cunning  if  possible. 

Relying  on  the  belief  universally  current  in  this  land  that  the 
white  man  is  possessed  of  mystic  power,  I  called  out  to  the  infuri- 
ated mob,  that  if  they  would  lower  their  spears  and  calm  them- 
selves I  would  apply  a  remedy  to  the  wound,  and  that  my  medicine 
had  such  marvelous  properties  that  by  to-morrow  morning  not 
even  a  scar  would  remain  where  to-day  the  flesh  was  deeply 
gashed.  My  medicine,  however,  would  only  be  efficacious  under 
certain   conditions.     Everybody   must  be  seated  and  not  move 


214  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

without  my  permission,  and  after  due  application  of  the  medicine 
the  wounded  man  nmst  walk  slowly  back  to  his  hut ;  any  excite- 
ment or  haste  would  reopen  the  wound,  and  the  consequence 
would  be  serious. 

At  the  time  of  the  commencement  of  the  quarrel  my  steamer 
fires  were  drawn  and  the  acceptance  of  my  proposal  by  the 
natives  would  give  the  engineer  time  to  get  up  steam  and  allow 
me  to  leave  these  hostile  regions. 

My  proffer  was  accepted  and  with  a  good  deal  of  formality 
and  outward  show,  I  examined  different  parts  of  the  invalid's  body 
in  order  to  impress  the  crowd  by  my  seriousness  of  action.  I  de- 
layed the  operation  of  bandaging  up  the  wound  till  my  engineer 
quietly  informed  me  that  he  had  enough  steam  to  make  a  start. 
During  this  performance  all  my  crew  were  ashore ;  they  knelt 
down  with  loaded  rifles  and  faced  the  village  savages,  whose  be- 
havior betokened  anything  but  friendship.  1  was  conducting  this 
medicine  farce  in  between  these  rival  forces,  and  had  the  unusual 
equipment  of  a  bottle  of  iodoform  and  a  revolver,  in  case  the  latter 
remedy  might  be  necessary  for  some  of  the  un wounded  who  were 
anxious  for  a  fight. 

Before  getting  aboard  my  boat  I  again  impressed  the  wounded 
man  with  the  importance  of  moving  slowly.  There  was  a  long 
stretch  of  cleared  ground  fronting  the  village  and  reaching  to  the 
river.  As  the  man  whom  I  had  just  treated  moved  away  in  full 
view  the  natives  could  not  attack  our  boat  without  exposing  him, 
so  we  were  able  by  this  to  get  well  out  of  range  and  escape  from 
what  might  have  been  a  serious  fight. 

Generally  speaking,  the  land  through  which  the  Oubangi  flows 

is  swampy,  and  the  banks  of  the  river  are  clothed  with  densest 
tropical  vegetation — huge  trees,  among  which  lovely  creepers  trail 
from  branch  to  branch.  Various  orchids  of  brilliant  colors,  cling 
to  the  branches  of  the  trees,  far  overhead,  and  animals  of  all  kinds 
roam  through  the  woods. 

The  Balui  have  not  penetrated  far  up  the  river.  A  hundred 
miles  from  the  mouth  one  meets  other  tribes,  speaking  an 
entirely  different  language,  but  with  habits  and  tastes  as  horrible 


BAGGING  A   ''TUSKER.''  215 

as  those  of  the  Balui.  These  tribes  are  most  confirmed  cannibals 
and  freely  advertise  that  fact,  by  exhibiting  the  bones  of  their  vic- 
tims. The  members  of  the  various  tribes  are  constantly  at  war  with 
one  another ;  each  village  seems  only  too  anxious  to  pounce  down 
upon  some  other.  This  state  of  things  maintains  a  perpetual 
state  of  alarm ;  nearly  every  village  is  surrounded  by  a  heavy 
stockade  of  sharpened  posts,  strapped  to  which  are  bundles  of 
wooden  spears,  ready  to  the  hand  of  the  warrior  in  case  of  a  sud- 
den attack.  One  is  constantly  passing  patches  of  cleared  ground, 
which  show  the  charred  stumps  and  general  debris  of  destroyed 
villages.  These,  I  learned,  were  once  populous  villages  that  had 
been  destroyed  through  the  avarice  and  ferocity  of  their  neigh- 
bors. 

Whilst  journeying  up  one  of  the  small  tributaries  of  this  river, 
one  afternoon,  we  came  within  sight  of  a  small  herd  of  elephants ; 
one  old  male  was  standing  in  about  two  feet  of  water  and  was 
leisurely  enjoying  a  drink,  and  a  female  was  carefully  plucking 
tender  young  sprigs  from  the  branches  overhead.  The  crashing  of 
branches  in  the  forest  beyond  showed  that  the  remainder  of  the 
herd  were  busily  feeding.  As  quickly  as  possible  I  ran  my  boat 
in-shore  with  the  object  of  crawling  up  unperceived  on  my  game. 

The  old  fellow  in  the  water  offered  the  best  opportunity,  I 
approached  within  twenty-live  yards  of  him  and  waited  in  hiding 
till  he  offered  a  good  mark.  A  shot  behind  the  ear  brought  him  to 
his  knees,  but  he  staggered  to  his  feet  again  and  tried  to  reach 
the  forest  when  I  emptied  my  left  barrel  squarely  into  his  fore- 
head and  he  dropped  fatally  wounded. 

Some  Oubangi  fishermen,  hitherto  unacquainted  with  the  gun, 
came  over  from  their  camp  to  see  the  dead  brute,  and  were  bewil- 
dered with  astonishment  at  the  power  of  my  rifle. 

I  camped  at  this  place  for  three  days  so  as  to  allow  the  native 
report  concerning  my  deadly  weapon  to  spread  and  intimidate 
would  be  enemies  into  treatiag  us  a  little  more  reasonably. 

This  delay  had  the  desired  effect.  The  surrounding  settlements 
which  we  visited  did  not  exhibit  any  great  anxiety  to  attack  a 
boat  having  such  weapons  aboard. 


216 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


All  the  villages  alone;  the  Oubangi  River  are  full  of  stalwart 
and  fierce  savages.  At  one  place  I  saw  a  canoe  on  its  way  to 
war.  It  was  a  huge  dug-out  with  large  platforms  fore  and  aft,  and 
was  manned  by  thirty-five  fine  young  warriors,  who  for  sym- 
metry of  limb  and 
general  physique 
would  compare  favor- 
ably with  any  band  of 
fighters  in  the  world. 
In  the  center,  seated 
on  a  chair,  was  the 
old  chief  himself,  who 
leaned  gracefully, 
with  his  arms  folded, 
ov^er  his  shield.  In 
the  bow  was  a  young 
fellow  beating  a  war- 
drum.  On  the  plat- 
form at  the  back  were 
two  men  with  war- 
drums  and  two  men 
acting  as  steersmen. 
In  the  body  of  the 
canoe  were  the  war- 
rior paddlers.  Every 
man  had  on  the  usual 
'  leather  breast-plate  of 
tanned  buffalo-skin, 
colored  in  fantastic 
patterns  with  yellow 


-si>.e,rs7T 


A  CANNIBAL   WARKIOK. 

and  white  chalk.  They  also  wore  caps  of  various  colored  feathers 
and  skins.  The  shields  and  spears  were  arranged  along  the  sides 
of  the  canoe  so  that,  at  a  moment's  notice,  every  man  could  be 
armed. 

The  sun  was   shining  brilliantly,  and  the  bright  metal  of  the 
knives  and  spears  flashed  with   every  movement,  while  the  wild 


''THE   GUN  WON'T  KILL:'  217 

surrounding  scenery  completed  a  striking  and  impressive  pic- 
ture. These  people  are  fierce,  warlike,  and  aggressive.  I  had 
only  fifteen  of  the  Ba-Nkundu  men  with  me,  and  it  required  all 
my  stock  of  patience  to  put  up  with  our  pursuers'  arrogant  behav- 
ior. They  would  surround  us  in  their  canoes,  and  tantalize  us  by 
throw^ing  corn-cobs,  pieces  of  wood,  and  stones;  and  it  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  that  I  was  able  to  prevent  them  from 
smashing  the  machinery  of  the  steamer,  as  time  after  time  they 
chased  my  boat  and  tried  to  drive  the  prows  of  their  canoes  into 
the  wheel.  These  attacks  I  repelled  by  placing  some  of  the  crew 
at  the  end  of  my  own  canoe  to  guard  our  w^ieel  with  long  sticks. 
It  was  very  humiliating  to  be  made  a  target  for  a  rubbish  fusil- 
lade, but  as  my  boat  was  very  slow  I  was  unable  to  escape  the 
indignity. 

1  make  it  my  policy  to  use  the  rifle  upon  the  natives  only  as  a 
last  resort,  when  patience  and  diplomacy  have  failed.  To  my 
peaceful  overtures,  these  savages  only  yelled^  and  informed  me 
that  they  would  eat  me  and  all  my  crew !  I  signed  to  them  that 
it  was  very  possible  I  might  dispute  that.  Upon  my  showing  them 
a  rifle,  they  laughed,  jeered  at  me,  and  said,  "The  spear  is  the 
weapon  to  kill.  The  gun  won't  kill!"  They  followed  me  up  river 
until  we  came  abreast  of  another  long  stretch  of  villages.  Here 
the  natives  did  not  confine  themselves  to  verbal  insults,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  fight  them.  They  overstepped  the  most  generous 
limits  that  I  could  grant. 

As  I  passed  close  in-shore,  steaming  slowly  past  their  villages, 
an  ominous  sullenness  was  noticeable  on  the  features  of  all  the 
men  who  w^ere  sitting  crouched  along  the  bank  with  their  eyes 
fixed  on  me,  and  their  weapons  lying  ready  just  in  front  of  them. 
At  a  given  signal  ihey  all  rose  and  hurled  their  spears.  One  of 
these  weapons  just  missed  my  head  and  splintered  the  wooden 
sun-deck  of  my  boat.  The  warning  beat  of  the  war-drums  struck 
up  throughout  the  whole  district. 

This  actual  attack  1  was  bound  to  punish.  I  put  the  nose  of  my 
boat  in-shore  and  steamed  ahead. 

The   enemy  grouped  together  to  resist,  but  we   poured   such  a 


218 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


withering  fire  into  them  that  they  soon  began  to  throw  their  spears 
at  random  and  then  broke  and  fled  for  shelter  behind  the  huts  and 
trees. 

I  was  determined  to  give  them  a  lesson  that  they  would  remem- 
ber— a  lesson  that  would  cause  them  to  think  twice  before  they 
again  attacked  a  friendly  white  man. 

I  routed  them  out  of  their  own  village ;  then  they  made  a  slight 


T-3 


****j*i; 


^^^mw^'- 


«K*- 


IIGHT   Wim  THE  CANNIBALS. 


stand  behind  their  palisade,  from  which  we  cleared  them,  and 
scattered  them  in  full  retreat  before  us.  I  completed  the  punish- 
ment by  burning  their  houses  and  capturing  their  live  stock,  and 
then  camped  on  an  island  opposite,  for  the  night,  keeping  a  careful 
watch  till  the  morning,  when  we  resumed  our  way  up  river. 

It  was  surprising  how  such  a  lesson  improved  these  people.  I 
came  back  to  the  same  village  twelve  days  afterward,  and  although 
they  were  dreadfully  scared,  succeeded  in  pacifying,  and,  indeed, 
making  friends  with  them.     They  admitted  that  they  had   been 


A  FIGHT  WITH  OUBANGI  WARRIORS.  219 

in  the  wrong;  they  thought  that  I,  with  so  small  a  party,  could  be 
easily  overcome,  and  so  had  commenced  the  attack.  They  paid 
dearly  for  their  mistaken  judgment. 

I  noticed  that  they  were  wearing  as  ear-rings  the  empty  rifle 
shells  used  in  our  recent  fight  against  them.  These  natives, 
unlike  those  of  Lukolela,  do  not  plait  the  hair,  but  prefer  to  shave 
it,  and  then  wait  until  the  head  is  covered  with  three  or  four  days 
growth,  from  which  they  shave  away  some  of  the  hair  and  leave 
the  remainder  in  half-moon  patterns,  squares  and  other  designs. 
When  the  patches  of  hair  grow  too  long,  they  shave  all  off  again 
and  start  afresh.  Their  faces  are  rendered  exceedingly  repulsive 
by  their  custom  of  cutting  off  the  two  upper  front  teeth  close  to 
the  gum.  The  news  of  my  little  fight  spread  far  and  wide.  The 
slowness  of  my  boat  afforded  opportunity  for  such  a  report  to 
travel,  and  at  no  other  village  above  did  the  natives  dare  to  receive 
us  with  hostility,  nor  did  we  again  become  the  recipients  of  their 
spare  stock  of  corn-cobs,  old  roots,  and  other  contents  of  rubbish 
heaps.  Most  of  the  native  plantations  were  cultivated  on  the 
islands  amid  stream.  Elephants  and  buffaloes  destroyed  any  crops 
growing  inland. 

These  people  are  constantly  at  war  among  themselves  and  hos- 
tile parties  are  always  lurking  about  an  enemy's  village  in  the 
hope  of  carrying  off  captives.  The  gardens  on  the  islands  cannot 
be  approached  by  any  one  without  their  being  seen  by  people  in 
the  village,  so  that  the  women  can  conduct  their  agricultural 
pursuits  in  safety ;  but  they  are  always  accompanied  by  a  few 
warriors,  who  keep  a  good  lookout  while  tlie  women  work. 

Trading  was  exceedingly  difficult — cannibalism  constituted 
their  principal  ambition.  They  would  sell  a  tusk  for  a  man ;  in 
fact,  they  offered  to  exchange  a  big  pile  of  ivory  for  my  whole 
crewl  These  savages  considered  me  very  eccentric  because  I  did 
not  avail  myself  of  my  opportunities.  They  could  not  understand 
why  with  such  guns  I  did  not  wage  war  on  the  villages  and  cap- 
ture the  ivory  and  slaves ! 

On  several  occasions  during  this  trip  the  Oubangi  chiefs  offered 
to  make  a  partnership  with  me.     Their  native  forces  would   com- 


220 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


bine  with  my  men ;  armed  with  rifles  we  would  overcome  the  large 
villages  containing  ivory,  all  of  which  would  belong  to  me,  and 
my  allies  would  take  the  dead  bodies  of  those  slain  in  the  pro- 
posed raids!  It  was  strange  to  these  savage  beings  that  I  should 
express  an  abhorrence  of  their  scheme. 

The   only  attempt  at  ornamenting  their  village  huts  is  by  hang- 
ing up  bunches  of  skulls  in  conspicuous  places.     Suspended  from 

their    horn     goblets    human    jaw    bones 
seemed  the  popular  adornment. 

At  one  settlement  the  old  chief  received 
me  affably  at  his  beach,  and  taking  my 
hand  escorted  me  to  his  village  where  his 
hut  was  surrounded  by  rows  of  human 
skulls  which  were  placed  in  line  on  a 
raised  clay  platform. 

As  I  had  bought  a  few  tusks  of  ivory 
here  the  natives  imagined  that  I  was 
anxious  for  any  substance  of  that  na- 
ture, and  had  I  been  a  willing  purchaser 
I  could  have  returned  from  the  trip  with 
a  cargo  of  human  skulls. 

So  brutal  are  some  of  the  tribes  of  Cen- 
tral Africa  that  even  the  declaration  of 
peace  must  be  accompanied  by  the  slaugh- 
ter of  a  slave.  Near  old  Ndisi's  village, 
on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Oubangi,  there 
Avas  a  dead  body  suspended  by  the  heels  from  a  high  gallows. 
I  learned  that  the  chief  had  but  recently  settled  a  long  stand- 
ing quarrel  with  a  neighboring  people,  and  had  celebrated 
the  event  b)'  this  cruelty.  A  young  slave  had  been  hung  up  head  " 
downward  when  alive  and  thus  tortured  to  death,  and  he  would 
be  left  there  till  the  stakes  rotted  and  the  ghastly  monument  fell 
into  the  river. 

But  even  more  horrible  is  the  fate  of  such  a  one  at  Chumbiri, 
Bolobo,  or  the  large  villages  around  Irebu,  where  the  expiatory 
victim  is  actually  buried  alive  with  only  the   head  left  above  the 


VILLAGE  DECORATION. 


NATIVE  FISHERMEN.  221 

ground.  All  his  bones  have  first  been  crushed  or  broken,  and  in 
speechless  agony  he  waits  for  death.  He  is  usually  thus  buried 
at  the  junction  of  two  highways,  or  by  the  side  of  some  well 
trodden  pathway  leading  from  the  village ;  and  of  all  the  numer- 
ous villagers  who  pass  to  and  fro,  not  one,  even  if  he  felt  a 
momentary  pang  of  pity,  would  dare  either  to  alleviate  or  to  end 
his  misery,  for  this  is  forbidden  under  the  severest  penalties. 

During  this  Oubangi  trip  I  visited  all  the  villages  along  the  four 
hundred  miles  of  navigable  river,  but  bought  only  a  small  quan- 
tity of  ivor}'.  In  every  case  they  wished  to  exchange  their 
property  for  slaves.  However,  the  few  tusks  I  was  able  to  pur- 
chase were  very  cheap.  They  term  ivory  "Minjeka  mimbungu," 
(elephant's  dry  wood),  they  carve  it  into  ear-rings,  and  armlets, 
pestles  for  pounding  up  maize,  and  I  have  often  seen  big  blocks 
from  a  monster  tusk  used  as  seats  in  the  Oubangi  villages. 
In  those  days  they  had  no  idea  of  the  value  of  the  precious 
substance. 

The  popular  metal  is  copper.  They  have  in  their  country  rich 
deposits  of  this,  and  not  only  are  some  of  their  weapons  shaped 
from  it,  but  they  wear  anklets,  leg-rings  and  other  body  orna- 
ments made  from  the  same  metal. 

This  river  teems  with  fish,  of  every  size  and  variety.  Their 
haunts  and  habits  are  thoroughly  well  known  to  the  fishermen, 
whose  curiously  minute  observations  have  taught  them  where 
to  spread  their  nets  with  a  certaint}'  of  the  largest  haul. 
There  is  one  large  yellow  fish,  the  "mbutu,"  esteemed  a  great 
luxury  by  the  natives,  which  lives  upon  the  soft,  succulent  stems 
of  the  swamp  grass,  and,  as  a  rule,  feeds  about  eight  or  ten 
inches  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  fisherman,  with  spear 
poised  ready  for  tlie  throw,  glides  noiselessly  along  in  his  canoe, 
skirting  the  fringe  of  the  grassy  swamps,  carefully  watching  to 
see  the  slightest  trembling  of  a  stem  of  grass,  which  tells  that  a 
fish  is  nibbling.  Suddenly  he  deftly  plunges  his  weapon  below  the 
surface,  and  almost  invariably  a  fat  mbutu  is  drawn  to  the  side  of 
the  canoe,  struggling  on  the  end  of  the  spear.  All  along  the 
Congo  and  its  tributaries  are  large  bays  where  the  water  is  invari- 


222  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

ably  sluggish ;  these  places  are  the  resorts  of  shoals  of  fish.  In 
the  rainy  season,  when  the  river  is  swollen,  the  natives  build 
walls  of  cane  mesh-work  across  the  mouths  of  these  bays ;  so  that 
when  the  river  falls,  all  the  fish  are  securely  penned  in ;  open- 
ings are  then  made  in  the  netting,  and  a  basket-trap  attached  over 
each.  The  fish  endeavoring  to  escape  by  these  apertures  are 
caught  in  the  traps.  With  but  little  effort,  a  plentiful  supply  of 
fish  is  secured  at  this  time  of  the  year.  Sometimes,  during  a 
rapid  fall  of  the  river,  thousands  of  fish  are  taken  in  this  way  in  a 
few  days.  Near  to  these  fishing-grounds  the  natives  build  rough, 
temporary  huts  and  also  construct  low  tables  of  sticks  about  one 
and  a  half  feet  from  the  ground.  The  fish  are  placed  on  these 
tables,  and  are  smoked  perfectly  dry  by  means  of  large  fires 
placed  underneath. 

Upon  coming  down-stream,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  I  one 
night  shot  a  hippopotamus.  Next  morning,  on  proceeding  to  the 
place  where  I  had  left  it  the  night  before,  I  found  it  surrounded  by 
a  crowd  of  Balui.  They  jumped  into  their  canoes  at  my  approach 
and  paddled  off  with  all  their  might,  but  I  followed  them,  because 
they  had  taken  all  the  meat.  When  they  arrived  at  their  homes 
they  jumped  ashore  and  bolted  into  the  bush  with  the  meat.  Upon 
my  arrival  at  the  village  I  found  all  the  huts  deserted.  A  careful 
inspection  proved  that  the  village  was  inhabited  by  fishermen, 
and  the  quantity  of  dried  fish  in  the  village  certainly  pointed  to 
the  fact  that  the  season  had  been  a  very  good  one.  Exchange 
being  no  robbery,  as  they  had  stolen  my  hippo,  I  helped  myself 
to  their  fish,  and  as  my  own  men  had  been  having  rather  too 
much  hippo  meat  for  some  time  past,  the  change  of  diet  was 
welcome  to  them. 

Upon  my  return  to  the  Congo  I  was  grieved  to  learn  that  there 
was  a  new  grave  at  my  old  deserted  station  of  Lukolela. 

Among  the  white  officers  whom  I  knew  on  the  Congo,  one  of  the 
bravest  was  an  Englishman  named  Deane.  He  had  spent  five 
years  on  the  Congo,  formerly  as  an  officer  of  the  Congo  Free 
State ;  he  had  also  commanded  one  of  the  government  stations  on 
the  Kasai.     There   the  natives,  taking  advantage  of  his  small 


DEANE'S  FIGHT  WITH  THE  ARABS.  223 

force,  attacked  him  when  he  was  out  in  the  river  and  clinging 
to  his  canoe,  which  had  been  upset  by  a  tornado. 

His  guns  had  sunk  to  the  bottom,  and  he  had  only  his  knife; 
but  with  this  he  fought  so  desperately  that  he  succeeded  in  keep- 
ing off  his  enemies,  receiving,  however,  a  wound  on  his  leg  from 
the  thrust  of  a  barbed  fishing-spear. 

A  few  months  later  he  was  on  his  way  to  Stanley  Falls  to 
replace  the  officer  in  command  of  that  station,  who  had  finished 
his  term  of  service.  At  nightfall  a  terrific  storm  compelled  him 
to  seek  shelter  ashore,  as  his  little  boat,  the  "Royal,"  loaded  with 
her  steel  lighter  and  thirty  black  Houssa  soldiers,  could  not  have 
lived  through  the  waves.  They  anchored  in  the  channel,  just  be- 
low the  Monongeri  villages,  a  few  days  journey  from  Stanley  Falls. 
As  the  steamer  was  very  small,  Deane  slept  on  shore  in  a  small  tent. 
His  men,  rolling  themselves  in  their  blankets  and  mats,  tried  to 
sleep.  Cold  and  cheerless  it  was  that  night,  as  camp-fires  were 
impossible  in  such  a  storm.  Suddenly  the  roar  of  the  tempest 
was  drowned  by  groans  of  agony  and  yells  of  rage.  The  Monon- 
geri savages,  under  the  cover  of  the  night  and  storm,  had  been 
gathering  around  the  band.  So  stealthily  and  silently  did  they 
come  that  the  actual  attack  was  the  first  signal  of  their  presence. 

Only  a  few  minutes  before,  Deane  had  been  his  rounds  to  see  that 
the  sentries  were  at  their  posts ;  hardly  had  he  returned  to  his  camp- 
bed  when  the  villainous  onslaught  began.  He  himself  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  shoulder ;  and  the  keen  blade  of  a  Monongeri  spear 
pierced  his  thigh.  His  cartridges  were  damp  and  would  not  ex- 
plode ;  but  he  fought  manfully,  using  the  butt  of  his  revolver,  and  a 
shield  which  he  had  wrested  from  one  of  the  enemy,  holding  at  bay 
the  fierce  natives,  who  savagely  hurled  their  spears,  but  at  last 
were  driven  to  the  dark  shadows  of  the  forest,  by  volley  after  vol- 
ley fired  by  the  Houssa  sentries.  In  short  gasps  and  feeble  tones 
Deane  rallied  his  men,  and  then  he  fell  exhausted  to  the  earth, 
unconscious.  Several  of  his  people  had  been  killed,  and  many 
more  lay  dying  from  their  wounds.  Harris.  Deane's  companion, 
carried  the  dead  and  dying  on  board  the  little  steamer,  and  get- 
ing  up  steam  jiushed  off  and  anchored   in   midstream.     What  a 


224  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

night  of  misery !  The  groans  of  the  wounded  were  mocked  by  the 
unearthly  mirth  and  drumming  which  the  wind  bore  to  them  from 
the  savages  gathered  thickly  on  the  banks.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  boat  steamed  away,  with  Deane  wounded  and  half  his  men 
massacred.  With  so  diminished  a  force,  punishment  of  the  Monon- 
geri  for  this  treacherous  onslaught  was  out  of  the  question ;  so 
they  pushed  on  up-stream;  the  natives,  emboldened  by  their  vic- 
tory, came  out  in  large  war-canoes,  harassing  the  fugitives  until 
the  deadly  rifle  warned  them  that  there  was  still  danger  from  that 
little  boat.  At  last  he  arrived  at  Stanley  Falls,  but  so  weak  was 
he  that  all  feared  he  would  die.  It  was  decided  that  he  should  re- 
turn to  Leopoldville.  But  a  few  months  elapsed,  and  again  Deane 
was  on  his  way  up-river  to  punish  the  Monongeri  villages  and 
take  command  of  Stanley  Falls.  With  his  renewed  forces  he  was 
able  to  avenge  the  death  of  his  men  and  his  own  sufferings. 

After  he  had  been  at  Stanley  Falls  a  few  months,  hostilities 
broke  out  between  the  station  and  the  Arabs.  Deane  fought  des- 
perately, killing  a  great  number  of  the  Arab  slave-raiders  and 
Manyema  banditti,  until,  the  ammunition  being  exhausted,  his 
men,  with  the  exception  of  three  deserted  him.  Deane  fired  the 
station  and  escaped  into  the  forests,  where  he  lived  on  berries  and 
roots  for  a  month,  hunted  about  by  the  Arabs  who  were  in  search 
of  him. 

A  few  months  later  he  was  again  on  the  Congo,  this  time  to  try 
his  fortune  in  hunting  big  game.  He  joined  Captain  Bailey,  and 
they  decided  to  hunt  together  the  elephants,  vvhich  abound  all 
through  this  part  of  Africa. 

They  spent  a  little  time  at  Lukungu,  on  the  lower  reaches  of  the 
Congo,  after  which  they  had  some  good  sport  hunting  ante- 
lopes and  buffaloes  on  Long  Island,  in  Stanley  Pool.  But  they 
were  impatient  to  try  their  guns  on  the  elephants,  so  they  hurried 
on  up-stream.  Captain  Bailey  had  a  severe  attack  of  fever,  and 
had  to  return  to  Europe  invalided.  So  Deane  was  left  at  camp 
alone.  Eventually,  prompted  by  reports  of  the  great  quantities  of 
game  at  Lukolela,  he  shifted  his  camp  to  that  place,  and  had  been 
there  but  a  few  days  when,  returning  to  the  station  after  a  short 


POOR  DEANE'S  DEATH.  225 

absence  up  the  Ikelemba  River,  I  heard  the  sad  news  that  he  had 
been  killed  b}'  an  elephant. 

The  scene  of  the  tragedy  was  about  one  hundred  miles  down  the 
river,  and  I  decided  to  leave  the  next  morning  and  learn  full  par- 
ticulars from  the  people  on  the  spot.  It  took  me  two  days  to 
get  down  to  Lukolela  with  my  slow  craft.  Arriving  on  the 
second'  day  I  learned  the  details  from  the  whites  at  the  Mission 
Station,  wiiich  had  been  established  near-by  my  old  garrison; 
and  the  news  was  graphically  confirmed  by  my  old  hunter.  Bongo 
Xsanda,  Avho  was  with  poor  Deane  at  the  time  of  his  death.  I 
tell  the  story  nearly  as  I  learned  it  from  Bongo  Nsanda.  He  said 
it  was  a  very  wet  morning,  a  day  not  at  all  suitable  for  hunting, 
being  very  misty ;  but  Deane  was  determined  to  go  out.  Bongo 
Nsanda  advised  him  to  postpone  the  hunt,  but  this  he  would  not 
consent  to  do.  So  getting  his  few  men  in  a  canoe  they  paddled 
down  the  river,  and  entered  a  small  grass-blocked  creek. 

Upon  arriving  there,  in  a  little  stretch  of  open  water  they  heard 
the  breaking  down  of  branches  by  an  elephant — to  the  hunter's 
ear  an  unmistakable  sound.  Deane  gave  his  orders,  and  the  nose 
of  the  canoe  was  noiselessly  brought  up  to  the  bank,  w^iere  there 
was  a  little  dry  land.  When  the  hunter  had  arrived  at  this  stage 
of  his  story,  I  took  two  of  my  men  and  determined  to  go  over  the 
ground  and  hear  the  remainder  of  the  sad  story  on  the  spot. 
Bongo  Nsanda,  as  soon  as  he  landed,  seemed  to  become  melan- 
choly in  the  death-like  silence  of  this  wood.  The  only  sounds  to 
be  heard  were  the  combined  murmuring  hums  of  numberless 
insects,  and  the  occasional  mournful  call  of  the  hornbill.  When 
we  had  walked  twenty  or  thirty  yards,  Bongo  Nsanda  arrested 
my  footsteps,  and  said,  "Here,  you  see,  these  footmarks  were 
made  by  the  white  man.  Now,  if  you  will  go  Avith  me  over  there, 
I  will  show  you  where  the  elephant  was  standing." 

I  accompanied  him.  He  pointed  out  to  me  a  long  strip  of  the 
bark  of  a  tree.  Said  he,  "The  elephant  was  tearing  off  that  bark." 

"The  white  man,"  added  Bongo  Nsanda,  "took  a  long  aim: 
but  he  must  have  just  missed  the  vital  spot,  as  the  elephant  curled 
up  his  trunk,  gave  one  shrill  trumpet,  and  made  off  into  the  bush. 


226 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 


Deane  and  the  hunter  followed  him  as  quickly  as  they  could,  but 
the  wounded  animal  ran  a  great  distance,  and  Deane  became 
tired.  " He  sat  down  on  a  log,"  said  Bongo  Nsanda,  "and  told  me 
in  a  whisper  to  keep  my  ears  open  as  the  elephant  might  be  within 
hearing,  and  at  the  same  time  added  that  I  must  make  no  noise. 
After  a  few  minutes,  a  sound  told  him  that  the  elephant  was  not 
far  away.  He  held  his  head  low,  and  his  hand  to  his  ear,  and 
listened  for  about  half  a  minute,  when  the  sound  was  repeated." 

Again  Bongo  Nsanda  moved  on  another  thirty  or  forty  yards, 
and  then,  suddenly  stopping,  he  said  in  a  whisper,  as  if  the  same 
great  danger  was  still  hanging  over  us,  "This  is  where  he  stood. 
He  was  a  brave  man ;  he  was  not  afraid  of  an  elephant  or  a  buf- 
falo, for  the  elephant  was  standing  in  that  open  space  under  the 
trees,  and  was  just  filling  it  up  with  his  head,  this  way ;  but  Deane 
boldly  crept  up  within  ten  yards  of  him  and  fired.  This  time  the 
elephant  came  down  on  his  knees ;  but  before  the  smoke  had  blown 
away,  he  rose  to  his  feet,  and  plunged  off  in  another  direction." 

I  again  followed  Bongo  Nsanda's  footsteps.  The  same  feeling 
of  awe  that  was  shown  by  this  black  hunter  took  possession  of 
me  also,  as  we  approached  nearer  the  fatal  spot.  Bongo 
Nsanda  must  have  been  deeply  impressed  indeed ;  for,  at  every 
step  he  took,  he  looked  all  around  with  a  hesitating  glance,  as  if 
expecting  that  an  angry  elephant  might  appear  any  moment. 

At  last  we  came  to  a  little  patch  of  clear  ground,  perhaps  ten 
or  eleven  yards  square.  "Over  there,"  said  Bongo  Nsanda,  "the 
elephant  was  standing,  swaying  his  trunk  backward  and  forward, 
and  switching  his  tail  in  an  angry  manner."  Deane  at  first  got 
behind  a  tree  near  where  we  stood,  opened'  the  breech  of  his  rifle 
to  make  sure  that  he  had  put  in  two  cartridges,  and  then  boldly 
left  his  cover  and  approached  to  within  seven  yards  of  his  game. 
He  raised  his  rifle  and  fired  his  two  barrels  in  quick  succession, 
causing  the  elephant  to  stagger.  The  lever  of  his  gun  was  stiff, 
and  he  seemed  to  be  struggling  with  it  trying  to  open  it;  but,  as 
it  would  not  work,  he  threw  down  his  own  rifle,  and  snatched 
from  the  hands  of  his  hunter  a  loaded  Snider  rifle,  aimed,  and 
fired.     This  was  the  last  shot  ever  fired  by  poor  Deane,  for  the 


AN  ANGRY  ELEPHANT.  227 

elephant  made  a  short,  wild  rush  at  hira,  and  killed  him  on  the 
spot  just  as  he  reached  his  cover. 

Upon  examining  the  surrounding  forest,  I  was  forcibly  im- 
pressed by  the  destruction  which  this  wounded  and  infuriated 
elephant  had  wrought  in  his  anger.  He  had  evidently  imag- 
ined everything  about  him  to  be  an  enemy.  From  some  trees  the 
Tiark  had  been  ripped.  He  had  torn  down  all  the  branches  within 
his  reach,  and  trampled  them  beneath  his  feet ;  young  trees  had 
yielded  before  his  mighty  strength  and  had  been  uprooted  and 
flung  from  his  path. 

I  followed  the  elephant's  track  for  a  long  distance.  At  first  he 
had  made  his  way  through  a  forest,  and  then  plunged  into  a 
f^wamp.  Here  he  seemed  to  have  rested  for  a  time  in  the  water, 
and  to  have  regained  his  strength  to  some  extent ;  for  after  this 
his  tracks  became  firmer  and  firmer,  until,  when  the  tracks  had 
passed  right  through  this  swamp  and  into  another  forest  beyond, 
there  was  nothing  in  them  to  show  that  they  were  those  of  a 
wounded  animal.  Finding  it  was  hopeless  to  track  him  any 
farther,  I  returned  to  the  Mission  Station  at  Lukolela.  Probably 
the  elephant  eventually  died  of  his  wounds,  but  it  is  surprising 
how  far  they  will  travel  after  being  badly  wounded. 

Deane,  throughout  his  whole  career  on  the  Congo,  had  shown 
himself  to  be  a  man  of  undoubted  pluck.  I  admired  him,  and  we 
were  the  best  of  friends.  Some  time  before,  on  my  road  up  from 
Kinsassa,  I  had  put  in  at  his  camp,  when  we  had  spent  a  ver}' 
merry  day  together.  But  now  everything  had  been  taken  away 
from  the  spot;  his  last  tent  had  been  struck,  and  there  was  a  sad 
and  somber  blank  in  the  place  of  the  vivid  scene  I  had  left  onlj'  a 
few  days  earlier. 


COPPER    NKCK    KINO. 


A  '-TUSlvliU. 


CHAPTEP  XII. 

MY  SIXTH  YEAR  TN  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 
Arab  Slavery— Tutu  Tib— Persecuted  natives— Ivory— Thompson's  hunt  at  ntoht— A 

TRIP  UP  THE  RUKl— ATTACKED  BY  CANNIBALS— DIVING  FOR  A  WOUNDED  CROCODILE- 
ATHLETIC  MEETING— "Nep"— Progress  on  the  Congo— Suppression  of  Slavery— Over- 
land TO  THE  coast— Congo  Railway— Home  Again. 

Every  traveler  who  has  penetrated  into  the  heart  of  Africa  has 
been  compelled  to  witness  the  lamentable  persecution  which  the 
natives  incessantly  suffer  at  the  hands  of  the  Arab  slaver.  All 
the  great  authorities  on  African  history  have  graphically  depicted 
the  sufferings  caused  by  this  inhuman  traffic.  Stanley,  Gordon, 
and  Livingstone  have  drawn  the  world's  attention  to  the  existing 
evils  of  African  slavery.  The  most  remorseless  and  cruel  of  all 
these  persecuting  hordes  are  certainly  the  Arabs,  Manyemas,  and 
Zanzibaris,  at  present  so  energetically  employed  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Congo  and  its  tributaries. 


STANLEY  FALLS.  229 

Stanley  Falls,  half  way  across  Africa  at  the  head  of  navigation 
on  the  Upper  Congo,  is  the  main  depot  of  the  Arab  slaver.  Here 
Tippu  Tib  and  his  Arab  associates  live  a  life  of  comparative  lux- 
ury, reside  in  fine  large  clay  dwellings,  cultivate  plantations  of 
grain  and  vegetables,  have  a  little  stock  and  poultry,  and,  sur- 
rounded by  a  goodly  retinue  of  servants,  they  pass  their  time 
apparently  in  indolence,  making  little  calls  and  sipping  coffee. 
But  Tippu  Tib  and  his  associates,  so  immaculately  robed  in  white 
linen,  represent  an  administrative  power  controlling  several  thou- 
sands of  hired  murderers,  who  are  told  off  in  bands  and  sent  into 
the  neighboring  country  in  search  of  ivory.  These  men,  more 
correctly  speaking,  are  ivory  hunters ;  it  is  the  search  for  ivory 
that  takes  them  into  the  heart  of  Africa.  How  the  refined  pos- 
sessor of  a  delicately  carved  ivory  toilet  set,  fan,  or  button-hook 
would  recoil  with  horror,  were  it  possible  to  see  the  blood-stained 
panorama  of  destruction  to  human  life,  relentless  cruelty,  and 
remorseless  barbarism  daily  and  hourly  enacted  to  obtain  the 
precious  substance  so  highly  prized,  but  purchased  so  dearly  with 
human  life.  Slavery  and  its  attendant  cruelties  play  a  part  sub- 
servient to  ivory;  there  is  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  Arabs 
to  purchase  the  ivory  from  the  elephant  hunters  of  the  far  inte- 
rior. They  steal  it.  A  band  of  Arabs  and  their  followers  learn 
of  a  village  in  which  some  of  the  occupants  have  ivory.  During 
the  night  the  native  settlement  is  surrounded  by  these  fiends,  and 
at  the  earliest  streaks  of  dawn  some  of  the  grass  thatched  roofs  are 
fired  and  a  few  guns  discharged  to  throw  the  village  into  a  state 
of  consternation.  The  natives,  frightened  by  the  unusual  noise, 
emerge  from  tlieir  huts  onh'  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  their  perse- 
cutors. Some  of  the  older  men  are  shot,  in  order  to  intinndate 
tlie  others,  and  any  who  resist  meet  with  instant  and  violent 
death.  All  the  captives  are  securely  shackled  with  heavy  iron 
chains  and  wooden  forks  to  prevent  their  escape,  and  the  Arabs 
then  open  negotiations  with  the  remainder  of  the  tribe,  and 
return  the  enslaved  captives  in  exchange  for  ivcry.  Often  it  hap- 
pens that  there  is  not  enough  ivory  to  redeem  all  those  who  have 
been  captured ;  in  that  case  the   Arabs  carry  off  the  remaining 


230  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

slaves  and  exchange  them  with  some  foreign  tribe  for  ivory,  or  as 
subjects  for  human  sacrifice  in  connection  with  some  tribal  cere- 
mony, or  even  to  supply  a  cannibal  orgie.  Some  of  the  stronger 
are  retained  as  carriers  for  the  stolen  ivory,  and  a  few  of  the 
women  enter  the  harems  of  the  slavers. 

These  natives  are  fine,  robust  specimens  of  humanity,  and  their 
country  is  teeming  with  natural  wealth ;  but  these  elements,  so 
conducive  to  prosperity  and  happiness,  are  simply  a  mockery 
under  the  present  conditions  of  oppression  and  persecution  to 
which  they  are  always  subject.  The  heart  of  Africa  is  the  happy 
hunting-ground  of  the  Arab  slaver ;  giant  expeditions,  well-armed 
and  equipped,  are  constantly  pouring  into  Africa  from  Morocco, 
Tunis,  Egypt,  Zanzibar,  and  other  ports,  solely  for  the  object  of 
gathering  slaves  and  ivory. 

Can  it  be  wondered  at  that  these  Africans  are  savages?  How 
could  they  be  anything  else,  suffering  as  they  have  done,  as  far  as 
their  memory  can  carry  them,  all  the  cruelty,  indignity,  and  bar- 
barous persecution  which  the  devilish  mind  of  the  man-hunter 
can  invent  and  perpetrate? 

At  the  head-waters  of  all  the  great  tributaries  of  the  Congo 
River  the  natives  are  incessantly  suffering  the  same  persecution 
at  the  hands  of  the  mongrel  Arabs. 

Occasionally  the  Arabs  will  make  friends  with  certain  tribes, 
so  as  to  utilize  them  against  their  neighbors.  Some  of  the  native 
villages  on  the  river  bank  have  no  ivory,  and  are  powerful  fighters 
and  industrious  agriculturists  or  fishermen.  The  cunning  Arab 
has  respected  the  villages  of  these  people,  as  they  could  be  most 
useful  friends. 

Cannibalism,  so  general  on  the  higher  reaches  of  the  Congo,  is  an 
aid  to  the  Arab  slaver.  He  avails  himself  of  this  hideous  propensity 
of  the  native  by  enlisting  tribes  in  his  behalf,  paying  them  for  their 
services  as  fighting  men  and  guides  by  a  share  of  the  "  meat"  ob- 
tained in  the  raids— being  the  human  beings  killed  by  these  brutes. 

The  Arab  is  absolutely  without  mercy  for  the  poor  wretches  he 
holds  in  bondage— the  young  men  and  women  in  the  prime  of  life, 
mothers  with  babies,  all  herded  like  so  many  cattle,  covered  with. 


THE  ARAB  MAN-HUNTERS.  231 

festering  sores  from  the  chafing  wooden  blocks  on  their  wrists  and 
ankles  and  the  cumbersome  fork  which  holds  their  necks,  and  re- 
ceiving from  their  heartless  masters  just  sufficient  food  to  keep 
the  spark  of  life  flickering  in  their  skeleton  bodies. 

Fate  seems  unrelentingly  antagonistic  to  the  native  of  Equator- 
ial Africa.  He  is  born  to  suffer  pain  and  sorrow— often  from  birth 
doomed  to  wretchedness  and  oppression. 

All  the  ivory  pillaged  by  the  raiders  is  brought  to  Stanley  Falls ; 
thence  it  is  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  slaves  a  distance  of  three 
thousand  miles  to  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  and  the  Arabs  them- 
selves calculate  that  only  one-third  of  the  carriers  dispatched  reach 
their  destination.  The  enormous  death-roll  caused  by  this  scourge 
to  Africa  can  be  imagined — the  number  of  those  killed  in  the  raids, 
those  who  die  of  sickness,  privation,  and  hunger  at  the  camps, 
and  the  loss  of  life  on  the  caravan  road  to  the  east.  All  this 
cruelty  exists — homes  are  destroyed  and  pillaged,  husbands  cruelly 
shot  while  defending  their  wives  and  children,  and  slaves  cap- 
tured, sold  to  be  eaten,  or  sacrificed  for  tribal  ceremony.  All  these 
atrocities  are  committed  by  man  on  man,  to  enrich  the  white-robed 
Arab  of  Stanley  Falls.  It  is  for  this  perfectly  arrayed  being  that 
this  injustice  exists. 

The  man  of  civilization  condemns  with  indignation  the  barbar- 
ism of  the  Arab  slaver,  but  let  the  white  man  pause  and  think  for 
but  one  moment  and  he  will  realize  how  deeply  he  himself  is  im- 
plicated. By  whom  are  the  guns  and  ammunition  supplied  with 
which  this  persecution  is  carried  on,  and  who  is  the  purchaser  of 
the  costly  elephant  tusk? 

The  power  of  the  Arab  and  his  Manyema  follower  lies  in  his  su- 
perior weapon,  the  fire-arm;  Arabs  are  not  able  to  make  guns  or 
powder.  These  articles  are  supplied  by  the  white  trader,  and  this 
is  a  traffic  which  the  great  powers  should  at  once  control  as  far  as 
possible.  It  is  the  possession  of  the  gun  by  the  Arab  which  gives 
him  his  present  tyrannical  position  over  the  multitudes  of  inoffen- 
sive and  poorly-armed  natives.  TIhtc  is  a  common  saying 
amongst  the  slavers  "Bunduki  Sultani  ya  Bara  Bara,"  meaning 
"The  gun  is  the  Sultan  of  Africa." 


232 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA, 


In  some  few  parts  of  northern  Africa  slavery  is  simply  the  sub- 
stitution of  enforced  for  free  labor.  The  natural  indolence  of  the 
Mohammedan  has  taught  him  to  surround  himself  with  a  retinue 
of  slaves  to  wait  hand  and  foot  and  answer  every  beck  and  call ; 
and  thousands  of  these  poor  wretches  are  caught  and  ill  treated  by 
their  cruel  masters,  who  drive  them,  shackled  and  yoked,  in  herds 
over  the  hot  desert  and  through  the  tangled  jungle,  leaving  the 
sick  to  die  and  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  wild  beasts.  The  roads 
over  which    the  slave  caravans  travel  are   clearly   defined    by 

ghastly  landmarks  of  whiten- 
ing skulls  and  fetid  corpses. 

During  the  last  few  years 
the  limits  of  slavery  have 
been  considerably  contracted. 
Not  many  years  ago  fleets  of 
sailing-vessels  left  the  west 
coast  of  Africa  laden  with 
slaves  for  foreign  ports;  the 
traffic  by  the  Arab  dhows 
/  1^^^^!^,-^  ^■^^yV  ^  \\     from    the    east   coast  has 

greatly  diminished.   A  church 

now  stands  in  Zanzibar  where 

the  public  slave-market  stood 

but   a  few    years   ago.     The 

British  squadron  has  done  much  to  suppress  this  part  of  the  traffic. 

Their  fast,  well   equipped   steam   launches   are   always  coasting 

along  the  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 

They  examine  every  Arab  craft  and  if  slaves  are  found  aboard 
they  are  at  once  liberated  and  their  masters  are  imprisoned. 

On  my  way  home  in  1889  I  met  an  old  Portuguese  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  slave  traffic.  He  was  now  a  very  old  man  and 
counted  among  the  varied  incidents  of  his  life  an  experience  which 
he  does  not  refer  to  with  any  degree  of  pride  or  pleasure.  He  was 
caught  in  the  act  of  shipping  slaves,  and  had  the  opportunity 
of  spending  two  years  in  irons  on  a  British  man-of-war.  The  west 
coast  of  Africa  at  least  is  now  cleansed  of  this  hideous  traffic. 


MANVEMA    WOMAN. 


CENTRAL  AFRICAN  SLAVE  MARKETS. 


233 


The  European  powers,  by  dividing  among  themselves  the  con- 
tinent of  Africa,  accept  a  contract,  of  course,  to  administer  in 
their  respective  territories  justice  to  the  inhabitants.  Therefore 
the  Congo  Free  State,  French,  English,  German,  and  Portuguese 
governments,  must  protect  their  subjects  from  the  perpetual  op- 
pression of  their  avaricious  persecutor,  the  Arab  slaver.  The 
shackle  and  chain,  now  cruelly  chafing  the  limbs  of  thousands  and 
thousands  of  human 
beings  in  Africa,  can 
only  be  broken  asun- 
der by  force.  The 
crimson  banner  of  the 
Arab  now  floats 
boldlv  over  the  great  f  / /  /. /r///'^^^ 
slaving  centers, 
T  a  b  o  r  a,  Nyangwe, 
Kasongo,  and  Ujiji, 
an  emblem  of  in- 
iquity; and  the  spot- 
less, white-clothed 
man-hunters  of  Stan- 
ley Falls  will  not  de- 
sist from  their  iniqui- 
tous calling  until 
some    superior    force 

compels  them.  The  Germans  and  English  on  the  east  coast  are 
constantly  strengthening  their  position  and  moving  farther  to 
the  westward. 

The  forces  of  the  Congo  Free  State  are  strongly  intrenching 
themselves  around  Stanley  Falls,  These  forces  are  gradually 
closing  in  on  the  Arabs,  and  enlightened  civilization  will  be  com- 
pelled in  the  near  future  to  cross  swords  with  relentless  cruelty 
and  barbarism.  Such  an  issue  is  a  very  important  one,  and  no  pre- 
paration should  be  neglected;  the  chance  of  failure  must  not 
exist.  The  whole  of  the  civilized  world  should  aid  these  powers 
in  their  noble  work  in  Africa,     The  downfall  of  the  Arab  slaver 


TIPPU  TIH. 


234  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

should  be  made  doubly  sure  and  every  influence  brought  to  bear 
to  gain  the  entire  confidence  of  the  natives  and  render  them  hos- 
tile to  the  Arabs  and  friendly  to  the  whites,  so  that  not  only  will 
they  render  assistance  in  fighting  their  natural  enemies,  from 
whose  merciless  persecution  they  have  so  long  suffered,  but  when 
the  bugle  sounds  the  attack,  and  the  guns  of  the  white  man  pro- 
claim the  war  declared,  they  will  rally  round  the  standard  raised 
for  their  delivery. 

When  the  Arab  slaver  is  beaten  and  compelled  to  flee  he  should 
find  himself  confronted  by  a  hostile  barrier  of  bristling  spears 
handled  by  resolute  natives  resolved  to  complete  the  downfall 
of  their  infamous  oppressors. 

For  more  than  two  years  I  was  constantly  employed  journeying 
on  the  waters  of  the  Upper  Congo,  and  its  tributaries,  and  my  life 
during  the  whole  of  that  time  was  spent  with  some  of  the  wildest 
tribes  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  I  was  in  frequent  communication 
with  the  cannibals  of  Bangala  and  the  other  tribes  of  that  fierce  dis- 
trict, and  also  with  the  wild  peoples  dwelling  on  the  Lulungu,  Ma- 
iinga  and  Oubangi,  and  my  adventures  on  land  and  afloat,  amongst 
savage  beings  and  dangerous  beasts,  provided  an  exciting  life. 

There  seems  to  be  almost  a  fatality  attached  to  the  hunting  of 
wild  animals  in  the  district  of  Lukolela.  Poor  Keys  and  Deane 
met  their  death  in  encounters  with  wild  animals  at  this  place. 
And  just  before  I  left  the  Congo,  in  1889,  another  friend,  named 
Thompson,  had  a  narrow  escape  from  becoming  a  victim  to  the 
ferocity  of  a  buffalo. 

We  were  camped  below  Lukolela,  near  a  large  buffalo  plain, 
where  just  a  narrow  fringe  of  bush  ran  along  the  water's  edge. 
At  night  my  watchman  came  and  told  me  that  he  heard  a  buffalo- 
munching  up  grass  a  few  yards  distant  in  the  plain.  I  answered, 
"My  experience  with  buffaloes  does  not  encourage  me  to  hunt 
them  at  night;  they  are  bad  enough  to  deal  with  in  the  daytime.'^ 
But  Thompson  said,  "Til  go,  then'.  I  want  to  shoot  a  buffalo!"  I 
remonstrated  with  him,  and  tried  to  convince  him  of  the  risk  which 
he  was  running;  but  he  answered,  "It  is  all  right,"— and  off  he 
started.     It  was  foolish  on  my  part  to  have  allowed  it.     He  took  his 


THOMPSON ' S  NARRO  W  ESCAPE.  235 

rifle,  loaded  it,  and  started,  followed  by  the  fag  end  of  my  crew. 
There  were  with  him  two  watchmen,  the  fireman,  two  table-boys, 
a  steward,  the  cook,  the  boy  who  looked  after  the  fowls,  and  one 
or  two  other  small  boys  who  were  employed  about  the  "'Florida." 

Thompson  had  been  absent  only  a  few  minutes  when  the  pre- 
cipitous retreat  of  his  rear-guard  plainly  told  me  that  something 
was  wrong.  I  then  heard  a  shot,  and  presently  Thompson  came 
walking  down  to  the  boat  bleeding  from  a  wound  on  his  head. 
He  coolly  told  me  that  he  had  tracked  the  buffalo,  and  had  heard 
him  eating  grass,  but  could  not  see  him.  Presently  the  buffalo 
caught  sight  of  the  hunter,  and  made  a  quick  rush  at  him. 
Thompson,  with  great  presence  of  mind,  threw  himself  on  the 
ground,  and  the  buffalo  passed  over  him.  In  doing  so,  the  ani- 
mal's hoof  had  tapped  him  on  the  head,  taking  out  a  piece  as  big 
as  a  silver  dollar;  and  had  also  bruised  Thompson's  back  with 
one  of  his  hind  legs.     It  was  indeed  a  narrow  escape. 

When  another  opportunity  occurs  to  shoot  buffalo  at  nine 
o'clock  at  night,  I  am  sure  Thompson  will  not  unnecessarily  vol- 
unteer for  the  honor  of  being  the  hunter. 

The  last  steamer  voyage  I  made  before  leaving  for  Europe  was 
up  the  Ruki,  a  tributary  just  above  the  Equator  Station. 

It  had  always  been  my  wish  to  visit  the  people  living  in  these 
regions,  but  I  would  not  attempt  such  an  expedition  in  my  small 
boat,  as  the  ferocity  and  hostility  of  these  Baruki  were  too  well 
known  for  me  to  attempt  the  journey  without  a  faster  and  more 
imposing  craft.  So  I  exchanged  the  "New  York"  for  the  "Flor- 
ida." Now  that  I  had  command  of  tlie  bigger  boat  again,  I  de- 
cided to  ascend  the  Ruki,  and  hoped  to  see  the  natives,  about 
whose  wnrlike  abilities  and  cannibalistic  qualities  I  had  heard  so 
many  tales. 

I  left  the  Equator  Station  early  one  morning  with  a  cargo  of 
merchandise  and  trinkets,  with  which  I  hoped  to  overcome,  if  pos- 
sible, the  prejudices  of  the  terrible  Baruki.  I  was  warned  by  the 
natives  around  our  settlement  what  I  was  to  expect  from 
my  present  venture;  but  I  was  accompanied  by  an  Eng- 
lish engineer,  named  Davy,  upon   whom  I  could   rely   in   help- 


236  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

ine-  us  to  give  a  good  account  of  ourselves  if  any  serious  trouble 
arose.  And  besides,  the  same  crew  who  accompanied  me  through 
my  Uttle  Oubangi  difficulties,  and  had  proved  their  pluck  and 
devotion,  were  now  on  board  in  charge  of  my  trusty  Bienelo. 

After  five  hours'  steaming  up  the  river,  at  the  invitation  of  some 
natives  on  the  shore,  I  put  in  to  their  beach,  and  exchanged  beads 
and  cowries  for  fresh  eggs  and  fowls.  These  people  I  found  very 
friendly ;  they  had  been  down  in  their  canoes  as  far  as  my  sta- 
tion, so  knew  that  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  me.  In  this 
village,  Nkole,  we  saw  but  few  knives  and  spears,  but  all  the  men 
were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows. 

They  were  very  friendly  toward  us,  but  exceedingly  frightened 
at  our  strange  actions.  We  had  a  harmony  steam  whistle  on 
board  which  alarmed  them  a  great  deal.  Just  before  leaving 
their  beach,  on  continuing  my  voyage,  1  called  my  men  together 
by  blowing  the  whistle.  The  poor  natives  of  Nkole,  superstitious, 
as  all  savages  are,  thought  it  was  some  angry  spirit  who  was  kept 
by  me  to  terrify  people,  and  who  gave  vent  to  his  feelings  in  this 
vray.  The  natives  on  the  beach  beat  a  hasty  retreat  at  this  un- 
usual sound,  and  those  who  were  in  canoes  lost  all  presence  of 
mind.  Some  jumped  into  the  river ;  and  we  steamed  away  leaving 
in  our  wake  a  mass  of  upturned  canoes  and  struggling  figures, 
while  on  shore  the  beach  was  deserted,  and  from  behind  every 
tree  black  faces  grinned  in  safety  at  their  less  fortunate  friends 
in  the  water. 

After  an  hour's  steaming  above  this  settlement  we  were  beyond 
the  district  of  the  friendly  people. 

And  now  to  all  my  offers  to  buy  their  goats,  fowls,  or  ivory,  in 
exchange  for  beads,  cowries,  knives,  and  cloth,  the  natives  in 
the  villages  we  passed,  responded  by  such  a  plentiful  supply  of 
sticks,  stones,  and  village  refuse  that  I  decided  that  I  should  have 
to  seek  a  more  rational  people  to  deal  with,  so  I  steamed  up  past 
this  line  of  villages,  which  were  built  on  a  high  bank  and  seemed 
to  be  very  thickly  populated. 

Before  long  I  was  compelled  to  meet  more  serious  attacks.  At 
one  large  village,  crowds  of  people  lined  the  beach  and  invited  us 


FIGHT  WITH  THE  CANNIBALS.  237 

to  approach,  saying  that  they  wished  to  trade  witli  us  and  be 
good  friends;  but,  when  we  turned  the  boat  in  their  direction, 
they  fired  a  flight  of  arrows  at  us,  then  ran  and  hid  among  the 
thick  bushes  which  grew  at  the  water's  edge.  From  here  they 
kept  up  their  fire  in  comparative  security.  Their  beach  was 
too  rocky  to  admit  of  my  taking  the  steamer  right  in  shore ;  so, 
firing  a  few  volleys  into  tJie  shrubs  to  drive  them  from  their 
hiding  places,  we  manned  our  large  dugout  and  paddled  toward 
the  beach.  We  landed  and  routed  them  out  of  their  village. 
Then,  throwing  out  skirmishing  sharpshooters  at  the  limits  of  the 
settlement,  I  completed  the  punishment  by  order- 
ing the  huts  to  be  destroyed  by  fire. 

On  my  return  to  this  village  a  few  weeks  after- 
wards I  made  friends  with  these  people;  it  is  a 
good  trait  in  the  character  of  these  natives  that 
they  know  when  they  meet  their  master,  and  they 
bear  no  malice.  It  is  unfortunate  that  war  is  neces- 
sary at  all  here  in  Africa,  but  the  agressive  hostil-  wtt,  \\\^\ 
ity  of  the  natives  renders  it  unavoidable  at  times.       iJ^/'''^//'f||^^^ 

For  the  first  few  hours'  steaming,  above  the  spot  Mm/^/i^ 

,  .    .  J      J  1  1  .    ,  RUKI  GIRL. 

where  this  engagement  took  place,  we  met  with 
no  opposition.  The  inhabitants  had  sensibly  taken  warning  from 
the  result  of  their  neighbors'  arrogant  behavior.  But,  in  the  af- 
ternoon, when  we  arrived  at  villages  where  news  of  the  fight  had 
not  preceded  our  arrival,  we  had  to  contend  with  the  same  diffi- 
culties again.  1  could  easily  have  avoided  the  arrows  by  keeping 
out  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  and  steaming  away ;  but  my  ob- 
ject was  to  make  friends,  and  to  learn  something  of  the  people 
and  the  commercial  possibilities  of  their  country. 

In  the  Ruki  I  had  repeated  evidences  of  cannibalism,  which 
interfered  with  any  legitimate  commerce,  as  they  wanted  me  to 
exchange  members  of  my  crew  for  tusks  of  ivory. 

The  women  wore  peculiar  costumes  consisting  of  a  belt  around 
the  waist,  from  the  front  of  which  hung  two  or  tliree  wild  cat 
skins;  l)ehind,  a  bunch  of  fibre  was  attached  which  stuck  out  like 
an  enormous  rooster's  tail. 


238  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

These  people  generall)'  were  very  suspicious;  they  held  their 
arms  in  readiness  all  the  time;  as  a  rule  the  wives  accompanied 
them,  and  carried  a  reserve  stock  of  arrows.  Even  when  alone 
the  women  were  well  armed. 

They  did  not  understand  the  gun ;  they  had  an  indefinite  idea  of 
some  weapon  which  created  a  great  noise  and  killed  in  some  mys- 
terious way,  but  their  knowledge  was  derived  from  native  report 
from  down  country  and  had  reached  their  far  away  locality  with 
gtrange  contortions  and  exaggerations. 

One  niglit,  while  camped  at  a  village  called  Esenge,  up  the 
river,  I  heard  the  muffled  paddles  of  an  approaching  canoe,  and 
thinking  perhaps  some  natives  intended  treachery,  I  told  Bienelo 
to  call  out  to  the  village  about  three  hundred  yards  away,  on  the 
opposite  bank,  and  tell  the  natives  that  if  I  found  any  one  sneak- 
ing about  my  camp  at  night  I  would  fire  on  him. 

The  general  murmur  of  the  village  ceased  at  Bienelo 's  voice, 
and  one  native  answered  that  his  people  would  not  attempt  to  do 
us  any  harm,  but  he  said  he  did  not  believe  that  we  had  any  guns, 
but  if  we  had  he  asked  us  to  prove  it  by  firing  a  few  volleys. 

The  village  opposite  was  in  a  state  of  perfect  silence  awaiting 
the  result.  I  fired  two  shots  in  quick  succession  with  my  elephant 
gun.  A  tremendous  roar  of  astonishment  greeted  the  report, 
which,  after  a  few  seconds,  however,  was  abruptly  hushed,  and 
the  same  man  who  had  previously  spoken,  shouted  across  to  us, 
"White  man,  you  have  guns,  we  will  see  you  to-morrow!"  The 
next  day  at  sunrise  these  people  came  across  and  were  very 
friendly. 

After  each  journey  in  my  boat  I  would  take  a  few  days  holiday 
at  the  Equator  Station,  and  with  a  crew  in  charge  of  Bienelo 
would  employ  such  vacations  for  hunting.  In  this  way  I  was  able 
to  keep  my  men  in  good  condition  and  good  spirits  with  fresh 
meat,  as  there  were  buffaloes  and  hippos  in  the  neighborhood. 

I  remember  on  one  of  these  occasions  I  shot  a  crocodile  which 
was  swimming  with  its  ugly  head  just  above  the  surface.  The 
reptile  turned  on  his  back  and  lashed  the  water  savagely 
with   his    tail,  and  then   sank.     We  paddled  over  to  the  place 


NEW  STATIONS  ESTABLISHED. 


239 


and  found  the  water  to  be  about  eleven  feet  deep.  Two  of 
my  men  pluckily  volunteered  to  go  down  and  tie  a  rope  to  the 
creature  if  dead,  and  if  still  alive  to  finish  him  off  with  a  knife. 
They  both  armed  themselves  and  dropped  over  the  side  into  the 
water,  and  presently  their  black  heads  popped  up  again,  and  they 
coolly  asked  for  a  rope.  They  had  found  the  crocodile  fatally 
crippled  and  had  stabbed  him  to  death.  Then,  tying  the  rope 
around  the  creature's  neck  they  hauled  him  on  board. 

I  tried  the  experiment,  at  one  time,"  of  holding  an  athletic  meet- 


t-soitoi. 


COXGO-LAND. 


ing  for  the  natives.  They  were  active  and  agile,  and  jumped 
and  ran  splendidly ;  but  my  way  of  awarding  prizes  did  not  suit 
them  at  all.  They  did  not  understand  why  the  first  and  second 
only  should  receive  prizes.  They  wished  every  one  to  have  a 
prize  and  argued  that  it  was  just  as  hard  work  to  lose  as  to  win. 

My  six  years  of  African  service  were  now  drawing  to  a  close. 
The  expedition  to  which  I  belonged  had  proved  a  brilliant  success. 
Upon  our  reports  concerning  commercial  prospect  on  the  Congo,  a 
large  trading  company  was  formed,  with  a  capital  of  a  quarter  of  a 
million  francs,  which  has  since  my  departure  from  the  great  river 
built  new  boats  and  established  many  other  ivory  stations.  Sev- 
eral commercial  houses  have  now  taken  boats  on  to  tiie  upper 


240  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

waters  of  the  Congo.     The  pioneer  efforts  of  our  expedition  opened 
the  field  for  such  development. 

In  the  middle  of  1889,  I  came  down  to  Leopoldville  in  my 
steamer  and  there  left  the  river  and  returned  to  the  coast  by  the 
caravan  route.  While  waiting  for  the  native  porters  who  were 
to  carry  my  baggage,  I  occupied  my  leisure  time  in  making  short 
hunting  excursions  in  the  neighborhood  of  Stanley  Pool. 

An  old  friend  of  mine  on  the  Congo,  Captain  Bailey,  who  has 
killed    elephants    and  hunted   lions  at  the  head  waters  of  the 
Zambesi,  had  a  thrilling  experience   and  a  very  narrow   escape 
from  a  buffalo  on  Long  Island,  in   Stanley  Pool;  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  plucky  conduct  of  his  little  terrier  he  would  undoubt- 
edly have  lost  his  life.     He  had  tracked   a  buffalo   out  of  the 
swamps,  had  dropped  his  game  and  thought  it  was  dead,  as  it  lay 
quite  motionless.     But  upon  his  coming  closer,  it  sprang  upon  its 
feet  and  charged  him.     He  had  only  time  to  fire,  but  without 
taking  good  aim ;  so  he  hit  a  little  too  low  on   the  forehead  and 
the  animal  was  not  stopped.     Captain   Bailey  barely  escaped  the 
buffalo  by  swinging  himself  to  one  side ;  the  animal,  in   charging 
past,  actually  grazing  his  side.     Finding  it  had  missed   its  mark, 
the  brute  wheeled  sharply  about  again ;  but  the   hunter  had   also 
turned  and  bolted  for  a  tree  wdiich  was  at  hand.     He   reached  it 
only  just  in  time.     The  buffalo,  making   a  furious   charge,  came 
full  tilt  against  the  tree,  and   knocked  off   a  big  piece  of  bark. 
Although   the   captain  had   succeeded  in  getting  behind  the  tree, 
he  had  no  time  to  spare  as  the  brute  would  not  give  up  the  chase, 
but  made  a  rush  around  the  tree.     At  this  moment,  the  brave  lit- 
tle fox  terrier,   "Nep,"   sprang  at  the  huge  beast's  neck;   and, 
although   thrown   off,  still  continued  to  harass   the   angry  bull, 
thereby  distracting  its  attention  from  master  to  dog,  and  giving 
the  hunter  time  to  put  another  cartridge  into  his  rifle,  and  with 
another  shot  to  drop  his  game 

All  hunters  of  big  game  expect  to  meet  occasionally  with  ani- 
mals v/ho  will  show  their  disapproval  of  a  bullet,  and  an  exhibi- 
tion of  a  buffalo's  power  and  agility  often  results  disastrously. 

For  many  years  previous  to  Stanley's  journey  "Through  the  Dark 


COMMERCE  ON  THE  CONGO.  241 

Continent"  in  1877,  the  mouth  of  the  Congo  and  a  hundred  miles  of 
its  course  from  the  sea  had  been  known.  Trading  establishments 
of  different  nationalities  had  long  carried  on  a  lucrative  business 
near  the  coast,  engaged  in  exchanging  merchandise  of  all  kinds, 
cloth,  guns,  powder,  etc.,  for  the  native  produce-peanuts,  palm 
oil,  palm  kernels,  gums,  ivory,  beeswax,  ebony,  logwood,  etc. 

For  many,  many  years  this  commerce  was  confined  to  the  coast 
districts;  the  interior  had  not  been  penetrated,  and  was  unknown 
to  the  white  man,  although  several  determined  attempts  had  been 
made,  mostly  by  English  naval  officers,  all  of  which   efforts  ter- 
minated in  a  most  disastrous  manner,  as  they  were  stricken  down 
right  and  left  by  the  fierce  attacks  of  the  African  fever ;  for  in  those 
early  davs  but  little  was  known  with  regard  to  medical  treatment 
in   caseJ  of   African   sickness.     The  Congo   River  until  1877  was 
only  marked  in   definite   lines  on   the  map  as  a  hundred  miles  in 
length    and  an  elaborate  system  of  branches,  penned  in   dotted 
lines   suggested   hypothetically  the   different   directions  beyond, 
modestly  hinting  at  the  possible  course  of  the   stream,  but  abso- 
lutely nothing  w^as  known  geographically. 

Not  until  1889  was  it  considered  possible  for   a  big  ocean   gomg 
steamer  to  ever  steam  the  current  of  the  Lower  Congo,  from  the  sea 
to  the  rapids,  a  distance  of  a  little  over  a  hundred  miles.     \\  hen 
one  of  the  Liverpool  boats  dropped  her  anchor  abreast  of  Matadi  a 
great  deal  of  surprise  was  created  among  the  white  men;  and  the 
gan-s  of  native  carriers  who  saw  it  hastened  back  to  their  mland 
hom^es  with  an  exaggerated  story  of  the  Buatu  Nnene,  "big  boat, 
which,  discussed  among  themselves  around  their  camp-fires  along 
the  trail,  would  gradually  receive  additional  proportions,  and  the 
fathers   and   mothers   at    Manyanga.  Kensuka,  and  Lutete  heard 
that  a  boat  a  mile  in  length,  with   the  speed  of  the   swallow,  had 
plowedupthe  waters  of  the  Congo! 

Afatadi  is  just  below  the  Yelala  Rapids,  about  one  hundred  miles 
from  the  ocean,  and  the  river  is  here  hemmed  in  by  banks  of  tower- 
ing heights,  where,  angered  at  its  stinted  limits,  it  flings  itself 
madlv  against  the  giant  bowlders  which  strew  its  bed  and  flows 
onward  to  the  sea,  its  surface  churned  into  a  disordered  torrent. 


242  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

At  present  the  manual  transport,  from  Matadi  to  Leopoldville, 
although  it  has  assumed  such  giant  proportions,  is  totally  inade- 
quate to  comply  with  the  demand  of  the  possible  developments  of 
Central  Africa,  and  the  expensiveness  of  transport  from  the  inte- 
rior to  the  coast  will  admit  only  of  the  purchase  of  ivory  with  any 
profit  at  all;  but  the  forests  along  the  banks  of  the  Congo  River 
are  well  stocked  with  natural  wealth,  and  with  the  cheaper  trans- 
port of  the  railway,  rubber,  gums,  hard  woods,  dyes,  and  even 
minerals,  oils,  etc,  can  be  shipped  with  profit.  Around  Stanley 
Pool  there  are  now  established  trading-stations  under  the  Eng- 
lish,  French,  Dutch  and  Belgian  flags.  Already  they  are  doing  a 
lucrative  business  by  purchasing  ivory  in  the  interior,  but  their 
harvest  will  be  reaped  when  they  are  able  to  purchase  and  ship, 
with  profit,  the  quantity  of  oils,  etc.,  which  the  country  produces. 

Strange  to  say,  these  commercial  houses  have 
not  one  American  competitor.  Yet  what  na- 
tion is  more  deserving,  if  any  benefits  are  to 
be  derived  from  the  dark  continent? 

The  discovery  and  exploration  of  the  Congo 

NATIVE  POTTERY.  ^^^^  Auglo-Saxou  deeds.    The  finding  of  Dr. 

Livingstone  was  an  American   triumph,  and   Stanley's  journey 

through  the  dark  continent  was  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes  of 

the  United  States,  and  the  Union  Jack  of  Great  Britain. 

In  all  developments  of  Central  African  history  the  great 
question  of  the  suppression  of  slavery  has  been  neglected.  The 
slaves  are  bought  and  sold  as  heretofore— those  white  men  seek- 
ing commercial  prosperity  have  been  of  no  aid  to  the  persecuted 
slaves. 

The  executions,  with  their  attendant  brutality,  ought  to  be, 
and  can  be,  stopped.  The  bloodshed  is  even  greater  to-day 
than  when  Stanley  first  saw  thete  people  in  1877 ;  the  reason 
being,  as  I  have  before  mentioned,  that  contact  with  white  men 
has  made  them  richer,  and  has  enabled  them  to  obtain  more 
slaves.  The  great  powers  of  the  civilized  world  are  now  discus- 
sing the  anti-slavery  movement,  and  if  such  discussions  should 
result  in  some   united  action   directed  toward  the  suppression  of 


SUPPRESSION  OF  SLAVERY.  243 

the  trade  in  the  interior,  there  are  a  few  peculiar  features  which 
might  be  turned  to  advantage. 

First,  and  most  important,  this  traffic  is  not  complicated  bv 
religious  fanaticism  of  any  kind. 

Second.  These  people  are  disunited;  every  village  of  fiftv  or 
sixty  houses  is  independent  of  its  neighbor,  and  small  family 
wars  are  continually  taking  place. 

Third.  There  is  nothing  so  convincing  to  the  African  savage  as 
physical  superiority. 

Now  all  these  points  are  in  favor  of  the  anti -slavery  movement. 

The  absence  of  religious  fanaticism,  the  disunited  condition  of 
I  the  natives,  and  their  acknowledgement  of  physical  superiority 

ought  to  be  taken  advantage  of,  and  always  borne  in  mind  when 
plans  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade  and  its  attendant  bar- 
barism are  projected.  In  my  opinion,  it  will  be  some  years  before 
the  slave-trade  carried  on  by  the  Arabs  can  be  successfully  grap- 
pled with,  but  there  is  no  reason  why  any  delay  should  occur  in 
striking  a  blow  at  the  inter-tribal  trade. 

The'  Congo  Free  State  has  moved  a  step  in  the  right  direction 
by  establishing  near  Stanley  Falls  an  intrenched  camp,  with  the 
object  of  forming  a  barrier  to  keep  the  Arabs,  with  their  Man- 
yema  banditti,  east  of  that  position.  Every  country  in  the  world 
should  support  the  State  to  effect  this  object,  as  it  will  play  a 
most  important  part  in  the  history  of  Central  Africa.  When  Stan- 
ley left  Wadelai  the  Malidists  were  already  there.  If  their  hordes 
join  with  those  at  Stanley  Falls  it  will  require  most  strenuous 
efforts  to  protect  the  whole  Congo  basin  from  their  devastations. 
While  we  are  still  able  to  keep  the  Arabs  east  of  the  falls,  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  eradicating  the  existing  bloodshed  west  of  that 
point.  It  is  a  big  work,  but  it  is  a  duty  which  the  civilized  world 
owes  to  the  helpless  slave.  Although  black,  and  a  savage,  still  he 
is  a  human  being.  It  should  alwaj'S  be  remembered  that  the  sup- 
pression of  slavery  in  Africa  does  not  mean  merely  striking  the  fet- 
ters from  the  limbs  of  the  slave ;  its  end  is  not  only  the  substitu- 
tion of  paid  forced  labor,  but  also  the  relief  of  enslaved  humanity 
throughout  all  these  regions  from  a  life  of  unspeakable  horror. 


244        '  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA, 

When  action  is  to  be  taken  for  the  suppression  of  slavery  all  the 
people  exposed  for  sale  should  be  redeemed  and  warning  should 
be  given  that  any  attempt  in  future  to  purchase  human  beings 
for  slavery  would  be  the  signal  for  war,  and  that  the  buyer 
would  be  severely  punished. 

The  most  important  part  of  the  movement  is  to  convince  the 
slaves  of  our  earnestness  and  sincerity.  I  feel  confident  that 
should  operations  be  carried  on  in  the  way  thus  suggested  most 
satisfactory  results  would  ensue. 

The  reason  for  the  native  villages  being  disunited  is,  that  there 
seldom  exists  a  chief  strong  enough  to  form  a  combination.  This 
weakness  should  be  taken  advantage  of,  and  capable  white  men 
might,  through  their  personal  influence,  unite  the  tribes  under 
their  leadership.  Sooner  or  later  the  Arabs  at  Stanley  Falls  will 
have  to  be  battled  with.  At  present  they  remain  there,  not 
because  the  white  men  will  not  allow  them  to  come  lower  down, 
but  because  they  are  in  the  center  of  such  a  rich  field,  and  they 
know  that  by  coming  down  the  river  they  must  rely  entirely  on 
their  canoes,  as  roads  in  the  interior  are  few  and  far  between, 
owing  to  the  swampy  nature  of  the  land.  They  would  also  have 
the  populous  and  warlike  districts  of  Upoto,  Mobeka,  and  Bangala 
to  fight  against,  which  would  not  be  so  easily  overcome  as  the 
small  scattered  hamlets  around  Stanley  Falls,  which  at  present 
they  are  continually  persecuting. 

All  the  natives  on  the  Upper  Congo,  quite  up  to  the  limits  at  present 
reached  by  the  Arabs,  should  be  controlled  as  much  as  possible  and 
be  combined  together  under  white  leaders,  so  that  when  the  time 
arrives  that  the  Arabs  decide  to  move  westward  they  would  be 
met  at  the  frontier  by  a  barrier  of  well-armed  and  resolute  natives. 

The  slave-trade  of  to-da}^  is  almost  entirely  confined  to  Africa. 
The  slaves  nre  caught  and  disposed  of  in  that  continent,  and  the 
number  of  those  who  are  shipped  to  Turkej^  and  other  parts  is  in- 
deed small  compared  with  the  enormous  traffic  carried  on  in  the 
interior.  We  have  the  authority  of  Stanley  and  Livingstone  and 
other  explorers  concerning  the  iniquity  existing  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  Equatorial  Africa, 


DEVOTED  FOLLOWERS.  245 

In  India  we  have  an  example  of  what  determination  and  resolu- 
tion can  accomplish ;  as  the  inhuman  ceremonies  of  the  suttee 
car  of  Juggernaut,  infanticide,  and  the  secret  society  of  the  Thugs 
have  all  been  suppressed  by  the  British  Government.  The  oppor- 
tunities for  reaching  the  center  of  Africa  are  yearly  improving. 
Since  Stanley  first  exposed  to  the  world's  gaze,  in  1887,  the  blood- 
stained history  of  the  dark  continent,  rapid  strides  have  been 
made  in  opening  up  that  country.  The  work  for  Africa's  welfare 
so  determinedly  pursued  by  Livingstone  has  been  most  nobly  car- 
ried on  by  Stanley,  and  the  rapid  progress  which  is  at  present 
taking  place  is  due  entirely  to  Stanley's  efforts.  Whole  nations 
are  following  in  his  footsteps  and  wearing  his  trails  into  broad 
roads. 

The  Central  Africans  are  capable  of  heroic  deeds.  Stanley's 
companions,  on  all  his  great  journeys,  have  been  Zanzibaris, 
whose  stanch  support  has  enabled  him  to  carry  out  his  giant 
projects. 

When  Dr.  Livingstone  died  in  Central  Africa,  two  natives  pre- 
served the  body  and  carried  it  to  the  coast,  a  distance  of  over  two 
thousand  miles. 

Only  recently  when  the  French  explorer  Crampel  was  treach- 
erously killed  by  the  Arabs,  a  young  African  girl,  who  had  been 
protected  by  the  white  officer,  snatched  up  a  gun  and  shot  one  of 
the  murderers. 

I  myself  have  sincere  admiration  for  the  brave  young  Ba- 
Nkundu  with  whom  I  have  fought  side  by  side  against  over- 
whelming odds  of  hostile  cannibals.  Such  plucky  and  devoted 
fellows  as  Bongo  Nsanda  and  Bienelo  are  a  credit  to  any  nation. 

A  party  of  engineers  was  engaged  in  1887-88  surveying  the 
country  of  the  Lower  Conso,  with  the  object  of  finding  a  road 
suitable  for  a  railway.  A  route  was  then  decided  upon,  and  now 
there  are  gangs  of  Zanzibaris,  Kabindas,  and  Kroo-boys  busily  em- 
ployed in  road-making.  Matadi  is  to  be  the  starting-point  and 
Leopoldville  the  terminus.  This  enterprise  was  commenced  last 
year,  and  it  is  estimated  that  its  completion  will  require  five  vears 
although  the  chances  are  it  will  take  a  longer  time  than  that. 


246  IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA. 

How  ctartled  will  be  the  herds  of  buffaloes  and  elephants  which 
used  to  roam  around  Banza  Mantika  unmolested,  until  the  arrival 
of  the  white  man.  It  will  be  a  rude  intrusion,  indeed,  when  the 
whistle  of  the  locomotive  echoes  among  the  fastnesses  of  the 
Lower  Congo,  but  its  advent  at  Stanley  Pool  will  be  an  important 
epoch  in  the  history  of  Africa.  With  the  completion  of  this  rail- 
way there  will  be  an  uninterrupted  service  of  steam  from  the  civ- 
ilized world  to  the  heart  of  Africa. 

The  natives  in  Central  Africa  have  frequently  had  their  wonder 
aroused  by  the  strange  belongings  of  the  mundele  (white  man). 
Rifles,  scientific  instruments,  and  field-glasses  convinced  the  den- 
izens of  the  dark  continent  that  Mputu  (white 
man's  land)  must  be  a  marvelous  place,  but  they 
have  got  accustomed  to  all  these  strange  things 
now.  The  shrill  whistle  of  the  tiny  "En 
Avant"  threw  them  all  into  a  grievous  state  as 
she  churned  up  the  dark  waters  of  the  Upper 
Congo.  But  when  the  railway  is  finished  and 
the  natives  around  Stanley  Pool  have  become 
accustomed  to  the  conductor's  cry  of  "  All  aboard 

ONE  OF    MT  CREW. 

for  Matadi,"  then  the  dusky  porters  of  Manyanga, 
Kensuka,  and  Ngombe,  whose  bodily  efforts  have  been  superseded 
by  the  enlightened  brain  of  mankind,  will  see  their  calling  lost 
to  them,  and  they  must  seek  some  other  occupation  in  which  they 
can  earn  the  wherewith  to  purchase  wives  and  the  gayly  colored 
cloths  to  dress  them.  And  we  white  men  of  the  early  days  of  the 
Congo,  who  have  so  often  scaled  the  rocky  heights  near  Mpozo, 
trudged  wearily  up  Palabala  Hill  and  Congo  da  Lemba,  marched 
through  the  stifling  valley  of  Lukungu  and  crossed  the  river 
Nkisi  in  rickety  old  canoes,  will  perhaps  sigh  and  inwardly  regret 
that  the  railway  did  not  exist  in  our  times,  a  few  years  ago. 

After  a  stay  for  a  week  at  Kinsassa  I  engaged  carriers  and 
started  for  the  coast  homeward  bound.  I  have  tried  all  available 
methods  of  locomotion  on  land  in  Africa,  and  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  walking  is  the  most  satisfactory.  The  hammock 
is  sometimes  used  ;  this  article  of  porterage  is  a,  piece  of  canvas 


RETURN  TO  ENGLAND.  247 

looped  up  on  a  long  pole,  -svlierein  the  traveler  lies  and  is  carried 
by  the  blacks,  one  being  at  each  end  of  the  pole ;  but  the  small 
bridle-path  of  the  caravan-route  is  at  places  so  ston}-  and  ragged 
that  falls  often  occur  by  the  carriers  stumbling,  and  bruises  are 
the  result.  Donkeys  are  sometimes  seen  on  the  Congo,  but 
unless  you  get  a  really  good  animal  you  have  no  end  of  trouble. 
The  ordinary  beast  becomes  affected  by  the  climate,  and  require 
a  great  amount  of  encouragement  and  assistance.  As  a  rule,  you 
must  have  one  man  to  pull  him,  another  to  push  him,  and  when 
he  is  very  tired  you  may  require  the  assistance  of  two  others  to 
prevent  his  falling.  Taking  all  the  drawbacks  of  other  methods 
of  locomotion  into  consideration,  I  prefer  to  walk. 

In  the  fall  of  1889  I  reached  England  again  after  six  years'  wan- 
derings. I  had  left  home  a  raw  lad,  and  I  returned  feeling  quite 
an  old  and  hardened  traveler.  Something  more  than  the  interval 
of  time  separated  me  from  those  early  days.  My  thoughts  and 
habits  had  been  molded  by  the  experiences  through  which  I  had 
passed.  My  interests  and  sympathies  were  centered  in  the  land  I 
had   left   and   I  felt  almost  a  stranger  among  my  own   people. 

I  missed  for  some  time  the  wild  tropical  scenery,  the  shouting 
negroes,  and  the  hundred  sounds  and  sights  of  savage  life. 

If  Africa  had  seemed  strange  to  me  six  years  before,  my  own 
country  was  now  as  unfamiliar.  I  had  left  many  a  dear  friend 
and  comrade  on  the  banks  of  the  great  river  in  lonely  stations  in 
the  far  interior;  and  in  my  heart  there  will  always  be  a  warm 
corner  for  the  poor  savage,  who  has  often  been  my  sole  companion 
in  the  wilds  of  Central  Africa. 


NATIVE    HASKKT   AM>  JARS. 


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